Asylum compromise in Belgium

After years of wrangling the Belgian government has reached a compromise on recognising the status of asylum-seekers who have been living in Belgium illegally for years. The business newspaper De Tijd is relieved: "It's good to know that political compromises can still be reached in this country, even if it remains unclear whether the asylum problem has really been resolved. There will always be those who seek their fortune in a world where wealth is distributed unequally. Bringing the problem under control is the only possible solution. And this can only be done by keeping the influx under control. The plan of [Prime Minister Herman] Van Rompuy's government to give asylum seekers who have been here for years and are 'firmly established' the chance to settle down officially is defendable. It would be inhumane to deport families who have been living here for years. … Nonetheless: the regulation is supposed to solve old problems but in fact creates new ones because many more will now try their luck."

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