Legal representation and advice to applicants of international protection and refugees in Belgium is provided primarily by private lawyers. If you do not have the financial means to pay for a lawyer, you may ask for a pro bono (free) lawyer.

There are two ways of obtaining a pro bono lawyer:

• You contact your local Bureau for Legal aid, which will appoint a lawyer for you if you meet the conditions.

• You choose and contact a lawyer who will submit the application for free legal aid on your behalf.

You should apply for asylum in Belgium as soon as possible. You can do it once you arrive at the Belgian border, with the police, or once you are already in Belgium, by going in person to the Immigration Office. You should go no later than 8 days after your arrival in Belgium.

The Office of the Commissioner General for Refugees and Stateless Persons (CGRS) will examine your application, interview you and make a decision to grant you protection or not. During your interview, you must disclose your sexual orientation and/or gender identity. To back your case, you will also have to explain why you are seeking protection and why you are in danger in your home country with as much detail as possible.

If you receive a negative decision from the CGRS, you have the right to appeal this decision before the Council for Alien Law Litigation (CALL) with the help of a (free) lawyer.

For more information and an in-depth guide on how to navigate the Belgian asylum process, visit asyluminbelgium.be.

It is important to keep in mind that the steps to take during the asylum process change often. For this reason, we advise you to get in touch with an organisation that specialises in international protection, such as Rainbow Refugee Committee, so that they can inform you on how the process currently works.

Rainbow Refugee Committee is an association that aims to support LGBTQ+ refugees in Belgium in all areas. They can guide you through the asylum process and also offer workshops and activities to support queer refugees. For more information, visit this site.

You can also check out inQlusion, which works to support queer migrants in Belgium and offers activities and social groups as well as support navigating the asylum process. Check out their website.

Belgium recognises same sex partnerships, which means that you can immigrate to the country to be with your partner under the same conditions as anyone in a heterosexual relationship. You will need to apply for a type C/Schengen visa, which allows you to come to Belgium and apply for cohabitation. You will need to submit proof of your relationship; if you are not married, you must be in a registered partnership. You will have to submit proof that you have lived together for at least one year, or that you have known each other for at least two years and have been in regular contact.

If you no longer meet the conditions to legally stay in Belgium, you may be issued with a removal order from the Immigration Office (ordre de quitter le territoire, OQT), requiring you to leave Belgium by a specific date. If you refuse to leave, you risk being arrested by the police and sent to an immigration detention centre while your deportation is processed.

In some cases, you might be able to appeal against a deportation order - check out this page from the Belgian government for more information. If you are at risk of being deported, we strongly recommend getting legal advice as soon as possible.

If you are a sex worker, Brussels is a great place to be. Belgium recently became the first European country to officially decriminalise sex work, awarding sex workers rights in terms of status, social protection, and healthcare, like other self-employed workers.

If you need advice, you can get in touch with UTSOPI (Union of Sex Workers Organised for Independence). They are a sex workers’ collective and can help you with any questions you may have about being a sex worker in Belgium.

The organisation Alias also supports men and trans women who engage in sex work. They offer free STI tests every week, among many other services - have a look at their website for details.

A hate crime is an act of violence or hostility because of who you are - including your sexual orientation and gender identity.

Belgian law protects citizens against hate crimes and punishes those who commit them. If you have been the victim of a hate crime, you can report it to the police if you feel safe to do so. For more guidance and support, you can reach out to Unia, who cover discrimination and hate crimes on the basis of sexual orientation. If you have been victim of a hate crime on the basis of your gender identity, you can get support from The Institute for Equality of Women and Men. They can offer help and advice to trans people.

There are no HIV-specific laws in Belgium, but there have been a few cases in which general clauses of the Belgian penal code have been used to prosecute HIV ‘exposure’ and non-disclosure in both sexual and non-sexual cases. Laws relating to HIV status disclosure are different from country-to-country, and can frequently change. The HIV Justice Network provides an extensive database of HIV criminalisation law around the world and provides up-to-date information globally.

Besides dating apps, Brussels has a vibrant LGBTQ+ scene with plenty of venues where you can meet people. Most of them are concentrated around Rue du Marché au Charbon and the Saint Jacques neighbourhood. We encourage you to research and see which ones are the best fit for you. Have a look at this page for an overview of all of them.

Hooking up and dating as a queer woman can be tricky due to a general lack of apps and spaces that cater to this demographic. However, besides mainstream dating apps, there are others such as HER and Lex that are worth a try.

If you are looking to meet queer women in person, Brussels has a couple of lesbian bars: The Crazy Circle and Mothers & Daughters - note that the latter is a pop-up bar. In addition, there are lesbian parties being organised regularly by Velvet 69. Check out their website to see when their next event is.

Brussels has plenty of options if you are looking to engage in casual sex. Mobile apps such as Grindr, Scruff, HER or Lex are very popular amongst queer people to find dates and hookups. As in any city, it's important to follow these safety tips:

• Consider meeting your hookup in public first: if you met on an app, consider meeting in a public space, so that you can make sure they really are who they claimed to be, and assess whether or not you feel comfortable and safe with them before taking things further.

• Let someone know where you’re going and who you’re going with: tell someone you trust that you are going for a hookup, so that if they do not hear from you after several hours they can check up on you. You can also share your location with them so that they know where you are in case you need help!

• Discuss your boundaries and preferences: communicate clearly with your hookup about what type of sex you want to have (and if you want sex at all!). You should never do anything that you don’t feel fully comfortable doing.

• Always ask for consent! Even if you have already discussed beforehand what you would like to do, you still need to get consent from the other person before you actually engage in any sexual activity. Remember that it is also okay to change your mind and say no if you no longer feel comfortable having sex with someone.

The overwhelming majority of queer spaces and dating apps in Brussels are trans-friendly. The organisation Genres Pluriels hosts a small gathering every last Thursday of the month, called “La Permanence” - more details here. They also organise several other activities and events for trans and intersex people - go to this link for an overview of all of them.

You will often also be able to find events on Facebook. Most of the time, they will give instructions for how to get there and use personal codes to ensure everyone's safety.

Always remember to not go alone if possible, or share your location with a friend to stay safe. If you find yourself in a situation where you feel unsafe or uncomfortable, get away as soon as you can and if possible get help from a friend or anyone you feel safe with.

Cruising - looking for people to have sex with in a public place, such as a park - is not illegal in Belgium. However, you might risk getting in trouble if someone sees you having sex in public. Be careful when choosing a spot and make sure no one can see you.

You still need to make sure you are safe while cruising: if you are going to a new location, find out where the exits, dead ends and shortcuts are. Remember that consent is still important and you always have the right to say no - stick to your boundaries!

There are more places to connect beyond the commercial ‘scene’. Many of us don’t have the money to hang out in pubs or bars, or we might be sober or in recovery and want to avoid being around alcohol.

Rainbow House hosts many different queer societies based in Brussels, who organise all kinds of events. Have a look at their website to see what they have coming up, and the societies that you can join.