No visa for foreign imams at unregistered mosques

State Secretary for Asylum and Migration Theo Francken will no longer issue visas to foreign imams that wish to preach at unregistered mosques. For that reason, twelve imams have already been refused access to and residence in Belgium. Ten of those have appealed to the Council for Alien Law Litigation, and the first four of those appeals have now been rejected. “This legal victory is an important step in banishing extremist ideas,” according to Theo Francken.

The Council for Alien Law Litigation decided to deal with the appeals in joint sessions. These are very exceptional and are only convened in cases where the unity of jurisprudence needs to be safeguarded for both language groups in cases of great social import.

Principle of equality not violated

The joint session ruled unanimously that the refusals of residence were legally valid. “The lawyer of the rejected imams claimed that I had violated their religious freedom. The Council now follows our position that such a violation is impossible, since the imams are abroad and thus not even under the jurisdiction of the Belgian State,” Theo Francken explains. “That is an important decision in principle, which has now been pronounced with the authority of the joint session. Just as important is the conclusion that the Council does not consider the principle of equality to have been violated. That means that our stricter treatment of non-registered mosques is held up legally.”

Government control essential

Imams play a leading role within the Muslim community and have great moral authority. For this reason, government control over their discourse is essential. “But foreign imams often do not speak our language, and additionally they import the standards and values of the home country, which are sometimes diametrically opposed to ours. It would be irresponsible to let those imams preach in mosques that are outside the control of our government and security services,” Theo Francken concludes.