About Restoring Family Links

Every year, thousands of people lose contact with each other due to war, armed conflict, natural disasters or migration. Under international humanitarian law, everybody has the right to know what has happened to relatives they have lost touch with.

The 'Restoring Family Links' service offered by Belgian Red Cross-Flanders provides assistance with your search for missing relatives and with re-establishing contact with family members. We cooperate with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and other Red Cross and Red Crescent societies around the world. Each of these has its own unique mandate and network, allowing them to trace missing relatives across the globe.

Restoring Family Links also provides information about the Belgian procedure for family reunification offered to persons with International Protection status in Belgium.

Restoring Family Links is a free service, for which we cooperate with other Red Cross and Red Crescent societies and also with special envoys in areas of conflict. All requests are treated as confidential, taking into account the individuals' personal situation and cultural context. 

Restoring Family Links helps you with the following: