Half of the repatriated IS women are already at large: “The government is playing with our security”

Between 2021 and 2022, no fewer than 12 IS women and their 26 children were brought back from Syria to Belgium at the initiative of the De Croo government. Today, it turns out that only half of these women are still in prison full-time. “Minister Van Quickenborne (Open Vld party) thought it was so important for the government to repatriate the women, because here we were going to lock them up and be able to monitor them actively. Unfortunately, the opposite now turns out to be true,” MP Koen Metsu responds.

The women were initially given prison sentences by the court, between three and five years, respectively, some with a conditional discharge. “But today, we have to confirm that half of these women are walking around again in the very society that they wanted to destroy. This is not only downright shameful, but also a threat to our national security,” Metsu responds. “What must the victims of the attacks and their loved ones think of this?”

Two million euros

“And that with your tax money,” Koen Metsu continues. “Because the cost of the repatriations was estimated at EUR 2 million.” And that counter is increasing every day as society pays EUR 150 per day for each IS woman in prison today.

Mandatory local prosecutions

The N-VA therefore continues to call for terrorists to be tried in the country where they committed their crimes. If that is not possible, Koen Metsu argues that they immediately lose Belgian nationality upon conviction. “In addition, it remains necessary for these terrorists to stay under lifelong supervision after serving their full sentences. These local prosecutions must be made mandatory for any conviction for terrorist offences,” Koen concludes.