Fouad Belkacem, the former leader of the organization Sharia4Belgium, has formally requested asylum in Belgium while serving a 12-year prison sentence that is slated to end in 2027. Stripped of his Belgian nationality in 2018 following his conviction, Belkacem could in principle be extradited to Morocco upon his release, a removal he is now attempting to block through the asylum system.
A High-Stakes Legal Battle Over Deportation and State Security
Minister of Asylum and Migration Anneleen Van Bossuyt stated on Wednesday that she will put forth every effort to expel Belkacem from Belgian territory once his sentence concludes. However, she recalls that the decision on his asylum application falls under the jurisdiction of the Office of the Commissioner General for Refugees and Stateless Persons (CGRA).
“Je ferai tout mon possible pour l’expulser du territoire,” Van Bossuyt declared, emphasizing that anyone who attacks the society and wants to substitute the sharia for the democracy has no place here. She confirmed that she is monitoring the case closely and has granted it absolute priority.
The Intersection of Criminal Sentencing and Nationality Stripping
Belkacem’s trajectory through the Belgian penal system involved his leadership role in the terrorist organization Sharia4Belgium. In 2015, a court handed him a 12-year prison sentence, which an appeals court firmly upheld in 2016. In 2018, he was stripped of his Belgian nationality.
Under Belgian legal provisions established in 2015, such a loss of nationality is possible if the author is sentenced to a penalty of at least five years in prison and is requested by the public ministry. With his Belgian nationality revoked, Belkacem retains only his Moroccan citizenship, making Morocco the designated destination for his eventual deportation.
Navigating Legal Loopholes and Proposed Legislative Countermeasures
Government officials have expressed that it is probable that the request will be refused. Morocco is on the list of safe countries. Furthermore, a marriage does not prevent an expulsion, as clarified by the Minister of Justice in 2017. Belkacem’s wife and three children currently reside in the country.
Minister Van Bossuyt announced that the government will shortly introduce a comprehensive package of measures designed to curb administrative and legal abuses initiated by inmates within prisons and closed detention centers. “Nous présenterons prochainement un ensemble de mesures visant à lutter contre les différents abus de procédure introduits depuis les prisons ou les centres fermés,” Van Bossuyt noted, signaling a broader legislative effort to safeguard national security protocols from tactical exploitation.
