One-third of detainees have no right of residence: “Build a prison in Kosovo”

Every month in 2022, 505 prisoners without a right of residence in Belgium stayed in the Brussels prisons of Haren, Sint-Gillis and Vorst. That is according to figures requested by MP Tomas Roggeman. Returning these criminal illegal immigrants is particularly difficult. “Illegal detainees should serve their sentences in their country of origin. That way, we can once again free up places in our prisons for a firm penal policy,” say MPs Theo Francken and Darya Safai.

Last year, our prisons held an average of 3,201 detainees without a right of residence on our territory. This concerns people without a right of residence, people with an entry ban, and so on. This means that as many as one-third of the prison population consists of persons without a right of residence.

A staggeringly high number of illegal immigrants in Brussels prisons

“Every month last year, 1,212 prisoners were incarcerated in the Brussels prisons of Haren, Sint-Gillis and Vorst. The average number of illegal immigrants was 505. This means that almost half of all detainees in a Brussels prison do not have a valid residence status. A staggeringly high number. Illegality and crime often go hand in hand in Brussels. Left-wing laxity in practice,” says Brussels MP Matthias Vandenborre.

Increasingly serious offences

These are mainly people who were guilty of drug offences, theft and assault and battery. However, people without a right of residence were also imprisoned for manslaughter and rape. These latter heavy categories are also on an upward trend compared to previous years. The most common nationalities among detainees without a right of residence on our territory are Morocco, Algeria and Albania.

“Accelerate the repatriation”

The N-VA is calling on competent State Secretary De Moor to fully exhaust the possibilities of returning illegal ex-detainees to their country of origin. Only a third of all illegal immigrants released from our prisons are currently returned to their countries of origin. “While the repatriation of illegal criminals must be at the top of the agenda,” Francken and Safai say.

Firm return policy

To achieve this, the N-VA wants to strengthen the capacity for a firm return policy. “It is not an obvious negotiation, but through our development cooperation, we have a strong instrument to put pressure on the recipient countries.”

Prison in Kosovo

“In addition, we could also do what Denmark is doing, operating a prison for their illegal immigrants in Kosovo. It is difficult to conceive of a stronger means of dissuasion,” say the N-VA MPs. The N-VA is calling on Minister Van Quickenborne to start the negotiations.