Belkacem, sentenced in 2015 to 12 years in prison for recruiting young people for Jihad and trying to overthrow the Belgian democracy, filed an asylum application from Beveren prison to avoid extradition to Morocco. The General Commissariat for Refugees and Statelessness rejected his request and excluded him from international protection. Minister Anneleen van Bossuyt: “Whoever wants to replace democracy with Sharia has nothing to do here.” Interior Minister Bernard Quintin: “He has nothing left to do in Belgium.”

(Staff: Belgium / Justice & Migration)

Fouad Belkacem, the founder of the terrorist group Sharia4Belgium, filed an asylum application in Belgium from the prison of Beverenwhere he serves his punishment. The news was brought to public attention by MEP Francesca van Belleghem (Vlaams Belang) and later confirmed by the Minister of Asylum and Migration, Anneleen van Bossuyt (N-VA) . . Belkacem, 44, is to be released in 2027, after serving a 12-year prison sentence.

Who is Fouad Belkacem and why was he convicted

born in rumst, Antwerp province, Belkacem received Belgian citizenship at the age of 14. In 2015, was sentenced to 12 years in prison As a leader and founder of the terrorist organization Sharia4Belgium . . The group recruited and indoctrinated dozens of young Muslims from Belgium to prepare them for the Syrian armed conflict, where they later joined organizations such as Islamic State . . Belkacem also campaigned for the overthrow of Belgian democracy and its replacement with Sharia law. In 2018, Antwerp’s Court of Appeal withdrew his Belgian citizenship, leaving him only with Moroccan citizenship.

Asylum application and the reason behind it

Belkacem filed for asylum in the summer of 2026 from prison. According to the authorities, the goal is to prevent his extradition to Morocco After his release in 2027. Although he has a Belgian wife and three children in Belgium, the marriage does not prevent expulsion, and Morocco is on the list of safe countries. Minister Van Bossuyt said Belkacem “uses the asylum claim only to prevent the return” and that he will soon present a package of measures against procedural abuses in prisons and detention centers.

Rejection of the application by CGVS

on the date of October 2, 2026, the General Commissariat for Refugees and Statelessness (CGVS) a Rejected asylum application of Belkacem and decided to Excludes from international protection . . Minister Van Bossuyt welcomed the decision: “This is an important first obstacle. Whoever wants to replace our democracy with Sharia, has sent young people to Jihad and has turned so fundamentally against our society, there is nothing to do with it here.” She added that she will continue to work, in the discretion, to return Belkacem to Morocco: “I will do whatever it takes to achieve this.”

Reason of the Minister of the Interior

interior minister, Bernard Quintin, reacted harshly on Platform X: “A foreigner who has been convicted for leading a terrorist organization and threatening our national security has nothing left to do in Belgium.”

Public opinion: “The people are against”

The public reaction was one of categorical rejection. Many Belgians believe that Belkacem, a convict of terrorism who has tried to overthrow the rule of law, should not benefit from any form of protection. The debate in the public space focused on the fact that the Belgian law still allows the submission of an asylum application, even from prison, which some consider a vulnerability exploited by criminals.

What’s next?

Belkacem can appeal the CGVS decision to Foreigners’ Litigation Council (RVV) . . The procedure is not yet final. In parallel, the Belgian authorities continue their efforts to obtain Morocco’s consent to welcome Belkacem after the 2027 release.