Belgium wants lifetime entry ban for convicted terrorists

7 November 2025

Convicted terrorists or hate preachers who are residing in Belgium illegally may soon be subject to a lifetime entry ban, the Council of Ministers decided on Friday. Currently, such an entry ban can only be imposed temporarily.

“The door will be permanently closed to those who radicalise or support terrorism,” said Anneleen Van Bossuyt, the country's minister for Asylum and Migration.

She cited convicted terrorists, potentially violent extremists, and hate preachers as examples of those who would be affected by the ban.

Any decision will always be preceded by an analysis by OCAD, Belgium’s threat analysis agency, to ensure an objective assessment of the security risk, said Van Bossuyt.

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People banned from entering Belgium will be flagged in both the Schengen Information System and the national police database. A ban means they will not be allowed to enter the Schengen area or Belgium, and the immigration office may refuse their visa or residence applications.

Overburdened prison system

Van Bossuyt added that the number of undocumented detainees who had been returned had increased in recent months. Up to and including October this year, the number rose to 1,300, compared to 1,035 in the same period last year.

"Anyone who commits criminal offences or poses a threat to our society must leave the country"

She said that she intends to build on this trend by increasing the number of places in closed centres, recruiting more escorts for returns, and concluding more effective readmission agreements with countries of origin.

"Anyone who commits criminal offences or poses a threat to our society must leave the country," she said. "By focusing more on returns from detention, we are protecting our society and giving our overburdened prison system more breathing space."

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