Aalter (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Foreigners in Aalter face long registration delays of 136 days vs. 15 for Belgians. Over 100 complaints were filed. Mayor Pieter De Crem denies discrimination, but experts say Aalter’s practices violate Belgian law.
People who are not from Belgium are having trouble getting registered in Aalter, Belgium. They are waiting for months, even over a year, to get their official registration, even though they have the right papers. A person who doesn’t want to be named said that when people who aren’t from Belgium apply to register, their applications are often put on hold.
The city council then asks for their home to be checked to make sure it’s good enough to live in. This can take a long time, and while they wait, people can’t get things like healthcare, money from the government, or jobs.
The persons mentioned that most of the people who have to wait a long time don’t have Flemish last names, which makes it seem like they are being treated unfairly because they are from a different country.
The people who are subject to such a check do not have a Flemish surname, they are mainly foreigners,
the whistleblower emphasizes.
Is Aalter unfairly delaying registration for foreign residents?
According to the officials, 15 days is the average for the Belgians, but for foreigners, it’s 136 days, which is over a year. More than 100 complaints were received by the government about this, primarily from individuals who are not from Belgium but from other European countries.
The government has told Aalter that they are not following the rules for registering people from Europe. They have sent Aalter emails telling them how to do it correctly, they mentioned that but it seems like Aalter is still not doing it right.
Pano and De Morgen can obtain such an email.
Today we note that the procedure for EU citizens is still being applied incorrectly,
Pano and De Morgen said.
Aalter is breaking the law by refusing to register people until they check their homes. Experts say that if someone is living at an address, they should be registered, even if the home isn’t perfect. The town can register someone temporarily while they check the home, but they can’t just refuse to register them.
I work within the legal framework. If that is not the case, it is up to the legislator to change that.
Pieter De Crem (CD&V), mayor of Aalter
According to Pieter De Crem, his town isn’t discriminating against people from other countries when they apply for registration. He says that all applications are handled fairly and that if there are problems with the law, it’s up to the government to change it, not the town. Experts mentioned that Aalter’s way of doing things is against the law. They said that the mayor wasn’t telling the truth, or the town wasn’t following the law.
In Belgium, everyone who lives there, even people from other countries in Europe and outside of Europe, has to register with their local town within 8 days if they plan to stay for more than 3 months. Usually, the police check to make sure the person lives at the address they gave. Then, the person is put on a list of people who live in the town and gets a special card that says they can live there.
Officials mentioned in Aalter, that people who are not from Belgium are being treated differently. The town officials are asking for their homes to be checked, which makes them wait longer to get registered.
The people who undergo such a check do not have a Flemish surname.
An anonymous whistleblower.
