Date of the decision: 9 April 2026
Jurisdiction: European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR)
Country: Belgium
Legal basis: Articles 3, 6 § 1, and 34 of the European Convention on Human Rights
Subject: Violation of the rights of four international protection applicants left without accommodation or material support for several months, despite final orders from the Brussels Labour Court.
To learn more: HUDOC – ECtHR
Summary:
The ECtHR ruled against Belgium for serious failures in providing for international protection applicants:
- Article 3: Applicants were forced to live on the streets, without resources or access to sanitation, during winter, and in constant fear for their safety. The Court emphasized that even a severe crisis cannot justify degrading treatment.
- Article 6 § 1: Final court decisions were not enforced for periods of 67 to 262 days.
- Article 34: Interim measures indicated by the Court took up to 261 days to be implemented, even though they confirmed orders already issued by domestic courts.
This judgment confirms that the problem is structural rather than temporary, as previously noted in Camara v. Belgium (2023), and calls for profound reforms in the reception system to ensure rapid and effective execution of judicial decisions.
