Over 230 people were taken out of the war-torn Syrian city of Aleppo and transported to Belgium where they have been granted asylum and can start to rebuild their lives. The Belgian government said the operation took over two months and happened in great secrecy. The refugees were mostly Christian and had faced human rights abuses in Aleppo. Once settled in Belgium, the government will help them rebuild their future. They’ll provide training in order to help them to find jobs. Theo Francken, Secretary of State for asylum policy and migration, said they will receive permanent protection status allowing them to rebuild a future in Belgium; adding, ‘the last thing they want is to be dependent on social security.’ The Belgian government has welcomed 5,500 Syrian refugees since 2011 and has provided asylum to 98% of all Syrians who request it.