Since March 2025, the CGRS has been receiving operational support from the EUAA, the European Union Agency for Asylum. This support was called for as a result of the continuing pressure on the Belgian asylum and reception system. the EUAA has been providing experts in the field of file processing, interpreters and reception staff. EUAA provides experts in the field of case processing, interpreters, and reception staff.
The experts provided by the EUAA for the purpose of processing cases are used by the CGRS to conduct personal interviews. They are not involved in taking decisions. Decisions are taken by protection officers of the CGRS. The Law of 15 December 1980 (Article 57/5-ter, § 1) explicitly contains the possibility of using the staff of another authority (in this case the EUAA) to conduct personal interviews. In 2025, these experts were used in the context of admissibility cases, more specifically for persons who already enjoy international protection status in another Member State. As a result of this assistance, a large part of these admissibility cases could be removed from the CGRS caseload.
In 2026, these experts will also conduct personal interviews as part of the assessment of cases on their merits, initially Syrian cases. The invitation letter will still mention that the personal interview will be conducted by an EUAA expert and in which language the interview will take place.
