POINT D'APPUI

What POINT D'APPUI does

Point d'appui asbl is a Belgian non-profit organization (Association Sans But Lucratif) founded in 1996 in Liège that delivers free, specialized legal accompaniment to undocumented persons (sans papiers) and individuals in precarious immigration situations in Belgium. Its primary beneficiaries are foreign nationals without valid residence permits—including rejected asylum seekers, visa overstayers, students unable to return home, and family members not meeting reunification conditions—together with persons holding temporary residence permits subject to strict compliance conditions, migrants detained at the Vottem closed detention center, and the broader general public seeking information on migration issues. Service delivery is direct-to-beneficiary and entirely free of charge.

The organization's portfolio comprises five integrated components: (1) specialized legal assistance for residence authorization and international protection procedures; (2) weekly legal consultations at the Vottem closed detention center, maintained continuously since 2001 under two accreditations from the Office des Étrangers; (3) information and referral services responding to inquiries from individuals and professionals; (4) awareness and sensitization programs for schools, cultural groups, and professional audiences; and (5) policy advocacy conducted principally through the C.I.RÉ national coordination. Technology infrastructure is minimal: a WordPress website with Google Analytics, plus GDPR-compliant manual data-handling procedures (explicit consent, signed beneficiary contracts, data retention of five years active plus ten years archived) for highly sensitive personal data. There is no proprietary software, mobile application, or digital service platform.

Point d'appui operates from a single office at Rue de Steppes, 22 A in Liège and is staffed by three paid employees—including one dedicated jurist—supplemented by committed volunteers, one of whom holds a detention-center visitor accreditation. The revenue model is a hybrid of (i) a Walloon Region operating subsidy tied to its accreditation as an Initiative Locale d'Intégration, which underwrites three APE employment positions and functioning costs, and (ii) individual donations, with tax-deductible attestations issued for contributions of €40 or more per calendar year. The organization explicitly states that subsidies do not cover all personnel and premises maintenance costs, requiring "thousands of euros" in donations annually to balance the budget. No revenue figures are publicly disclosed.

Name

POINT D'APPUI

Legal name

Point d'appui asbl

Website

https://pointdappui.be

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Belgian non-profit ASBL founded in 1996 in Liège providing free specialized legal assistance to undocumented persons and individuals in precarious immigration situations in Belgium, including weekly legal consultations at the Vottem detention center; funded by Walloon Region subsidies and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Immigration Legal Aid & Migrant Advocacy Services

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Individual and Family Services (6241), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Migrant & Refugee Legal Aid and Documentation Services (BPADAHAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Refugee & Immigrant Support Services (BPAGAEAI), Legal Aid & Client Advocacy Services (BPAGAEAM), Immigrant & Refugee Rights Advocacy (BPAGAFAG)

Keywords

• Immigration legal services
• Asylum support
• Residence permit assistance
• Migrant advocacy
• Legal accompaniment

Headquarters

HQ city

Liège

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Walloon Region Subsidy: Subsidized by the Walloon Region as an Initiative Locale d'Intégration (Local Integration Initiative) for foreign persons, receiving operational subsidies and three APE employment positions
2. Donations: Thousands of euros in donations needed annually to balance the budget, as subsidies do not cover all personnel and premises maintenance expenses. Tax attestation available for donations starting at 40€ per calendar year

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Point d'appui asbl provides free specialized legal accompaniment and advocacy support to undocumented persons (sans papiers) and individuals in precarious immigration situations in Belgium. Its services focus on residence authorization requests, international protection/asylum procedures, defense of fundamental rights (medical aid, family life, education), weekly legal consultations at the Vottem closed detention center, and policy advocacy conducted through coalitions such as C.I.RÉ. The organization is funded by Walloon Region subsidies and donations and does not provide material, financial, or housing assistance.

Product overview

POINT D'APPUI is a non-profit association (ASBL) founded in Liège in 1996 that provides a unified social/legal service to undocumented persons and those in precarious residence situations in Belgium. The organization operates as a single integrated service offering comprising five interconnected components: specialized legal assistance for residence permits and international protection, weekly legal consultations at the Vottem closed detention center (since 2001), information and referral services, public awareness and sensitization programs, and policy advocacy work conducted through the CIRÉ network. The organization does not provide material, financial, or housing assistance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Legal Assistance Service for Undocumented Persons Specialized legal support for undocumented persons and those in precarious residence situations, including assistance with residence permit applications, international protection requests, and defense of fundamental rights (medical aid, family life, education). Delivered free of charge at the Liège office and via accredited channels.
• Weekly Legal Consultation at Vottem Detention Center Weekly legal permanence at the closed detention center of Vottem, providing legal assistance to detained migrants. The organization holds two accreditations from the Office des Étrangers for visiting the center — one used by a staff member and one attributed to a volunteer visitor.
• Information and Referral Services Responses to inquiries from individuals and professionals regarding asylum, residence rights, material assistance, and medical aid questions, channeled through email and phone contact at [email protected] / 04/227.69.51.

Quantifiable outcome

• Legal accompaniment for thousands of undocumented persons annually
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• C.I.RÉ (Coordination et Initiatives pour et avec les Réfugiés et Etrangers)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPoint d'Appui is an active member of C.I.RÉ, the national coordination for refugee and migrant organizations. This is their primary coalition for influencing Belgian and European migration policy. They participate in joint campaigns, press releases, and advocacy initiatives through C.I.RÉ.
• Office des Étrangers (Office of Foreigners)coreOthersPoint d'Appui holds two official accreditations from the Office of Foreigners for visiting the Vottem closed detention center. One accreditation is used by a staff member, the second is attributed to a volunteer visitor.
• Transit Group (NGO group for closed center visits)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPoint d'Appui participates in the Transit Group network, coordinating NGO visits to closed detention centers and organizing parliamentary visits to expose detention conditions.
• Coalition for Migratory Justice (CNCD-11.11.11)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerActive member of the Coalition for Migratory Justice coordinated by CNCD-11.11.11, participating in joint advocacy campaigns including the 'Commune hospitalière' initiative.
• Various civil society organizations (168+ organizations)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipates in broad coalitions with associations from social, cultural, artistic, humanitarian, medical sectors, and undocumented persons collectives for joint advocacy and solidarity campaigns.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Croix-Rouge de Belgique: Belgian Red Cross operates a 'Hub Humanitaire' and provides reception, legal guidance, and support services for asylum seekers — a much larger incumbent offering overlapping services in the same domain.
• ECRE (European Council on Refugees and Exiles): European umbrella coordinating over 100 refugee and asylum NGOs including C.I.RÉ. Operates at EU level on the same policy and advocacy issues that Point d'Appui engages with at the Belgian national level.
• Caritas International Belgique: Large Belgian federation providing refugee and migrant support services including legal accompaniment, social assistance, and advocacy. Operates as a broader welfare organization with overlapping migrant-focused programs.

Regional players

• France Terre d'Asile: Major French organization providing legal accompaniment, reception, and advocacy for asylum seekers and refugees — a close functional equivalent operating in the neighboring French market with the same core service model.
• CAW (Centrum Algemeen Welzijnswerk): Flemish network of centers providing general social welfare including legal aid, psychosocial support, and advocacy — overlaps with Point d'Appui's service portfolio but primarily serves Flemish-speaking clients.
• Vluchtelingenwerk Vlaanderen: Flemish Council for Refugees providing legal aid, advocacy, and support to asylum seekers and undocumented persons in Flanders — serving the same beneficiary population in the Dutch-speaking region of Belgium.

Direct peers

• Ligue des droits humains (LDH): Belgian human rights organization providing legal support and conducting strategic litigation on issues including migration, asylum, and rights of foreigners — directly comparable legal advocacy mission in Belgium.
• C.I.RÉ (Coordination et Initiatives pour et avec les Réfugiés et Étrangers): National coordination network of which Point d'Appui is an active member. C.I.RÉ coordinates Belgian refugee and migrant support organizations, running joint advocacy campaigns and policy initiatives on the same beneficiary base of undocumented persons and asylum seekers.
• Jesuit Refugee Service Belgium (JRS-B): Belgian branch of an international organization providing legal accompaniment, social support, and advocacy for asylum seekers, refused asylum seekers, and undocumented migrants — same beneficiary base, similar service portfolio.

Emerging players

• Médecins du Monde Belgique: Provides medical and social support to undocumented persons in Belgium, including access-to-care navigation. While primarily medical, they coordinate with legal aid providers serving the same population.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/pointdappui.liege
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/point-d'appui

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about POINT D'APPUI