The Belgian government has urged Nigerians planning on fleeing to Europe, including Belgium, in search of greener pastures, to reconsider, warning that Nigerian migrants in Belgium face harsh realities, with many falling victim to forced prostitution.
The Director-General of the Belgian Office for Foreigners, Mr Freddy Roosemont, who gave the warning when he addressed a press conference in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on Friday, insisted that Europe, including Belgium, is not a ‘land of milk and honey’ as most people think
According to him, Nigeria has the highest number of people forced into prostitution in Belgium, often lured to the country with false promises of job opportunities.
He said, “The dream is not real; it’s not easy to survive in Europe without a decent job. The dream is fake.
“Belgium is not the land of milk and honey, nor is Europe. This was not the case before, but is even less so now, in a world with many crisis hotspots with severe economic consequences.”
Roosemont also expressed concern about the increasing number of Nigerians seeking asylum in Belgium, with many rejected Nigerians forced to live undocumented and lack social safety nets
Roosemont further noted that no fewer than 362 Nigerian migrants sought asylum in 2022 while 380 of them applied in 2023, adding that only a few of them got their application granted.
He said “Asylum is determined on the basis of the Geneva Convention and economic motives are not included.
“Therefore the recognition rate for asylum is very low and the chances of obtaining a residence permit are almost non-existent.”
Continuing he adds, “As a consequence, people are forced to live in irregular stay, without a social safety net, in precarious conditions. They risk economic exploitation and women risk ending up in prostitution.”