N-VA wants to put an end to abuse of green passports

Green passports allow holders to enter the Schengen Area without a visa for short stays of up to 90 days within any 180-day period. However, according to MP Kathleen Depoorter, they are increasingly being misused to facilitate long-term stays in Belgium. “This has to stop,” Depoorter says. She has therefore tabled a resolution aimed at tackling such abuse.

In recent years, Flemish Minister for Employment Zuhal Demir has repeatedly warned about the potential misuse of the visa-free travel scheme. According to her, it is sometimes used to carry out long-term or professional activities while circumventing the usual checks on labour migration, integration and residence.

No back door to long-term residence

Depoorter’s resolution highlights, among other things, the situation of foreign religious ministers affiliated with foreign state institutions. By entering Belgium under the short-stay regime, they are allegedly able to carry out long-term activities within religious organisations in the country.

“A passport intended for short stays must not become a back door to long-term or structural residence in Belgium,” Depoorter stresses. “Anyone who is active here over an extended period should be subject to the same rules as everyone else.”

A blanket abolition of visa-free travel would be disproportionate and could have diplomatic repercussions. Instead, Depoorter advocates a balanced approach focused on stronger oversight and enforcement within the existing national and international legal framework.

Reviewing enforcement

More specifically, the resolution calls for an evaluation of the current monitoring and enforcement mechanisms, as well as closer cooperation between the Immigration Office, the Federal Police, the intelligence and security services, and the social inspection authorities. It also urges faster detection of abuse and calls for discussions at EU level on a coordinated approach.

The government would be required to report back to the House of Representatives within twelve months on the risks identified and the measures taken.

“Those who respect our rules are welcome. But abusing a status that was designed for short official missions undermines trust in the entire system and weakens public support for it. That is where we draw a clear line,” Depoorter concludes.