Belgium and Cambodia reach agreement on prisoner transfers

24 January 2026

Belgium and Cambodia have reached an agreement on the transfer of convicted prisoners, allowing Belgian nationals detained in Cambodia to serve their sentences in Belgium, and Cambodian prisoners in Belgium to be transferred to their home country. The Federal Public Service (FPS) Foreign Affairs confirmed the agreement in a statement on Friday, and the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs also announced the development in a post on X.

The agreement was signed on Friday in the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh, by the Cambodian minister of justice and the Belgian ambassador to Thailand, who is also responsible for Cambodia.

At the request of the prisoner

In practical terms, the agreement allows Belgian prisoners held in Cambodian prisons to request a transfer to Belgium. “This will happen at the request of the prisoners themselves,” said Pierre Steverlynck of the FPS Foreign Affairs. Any transfer will then be assessed “on a case-by-case basis.” Cambodian prisoners serving sentences in Belgium will also be able to apply for a transfer to Cambodia under the same conditions.

According to the FPS Foreign Affairs, the agreement enables prisoners to serve their sentences closer to family and friends, while also allowing them to better prepare for their reintegration into society. The agreement was drawn up in close cooperation with the FPS Justice.

Two years ago, a Belgian man in his forties, who had already spent five years in a Cambodian prison, filed a formal complaint against the Belgian state. The FPS Foreign Affairs confirmed that the man remains detained in Cambodia and may therefore be eligible for transfer under the new agreement. The ministry is also aware of a second Belgian detainee in the country.

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Belgium currently has agreements on the transfer of sentenced persons with around 75 countries. These include bilateral agreements, an EU Framework Decision, and an international treaty governing the transfer of prisoners.

^{© PHOTO TANG CHHIN SOTHY / AFP}

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