Brussels, 3 October 2026 — Around 60 Afghan nationals currently serving prison sentences in Belgium could face deportation to Afghanistan after completing their sentences, Belgium’s Minister for Asylum and Migration has said.
Annelies Van Bossuyt told the Belgian Parliament that the individuals concerned do not have legal residence in Belgium. According to the minister, some of them have been convicted of serious offences, including rape and murder.
The Belgian government is examining practical arrangements for the return of foreign prisoners who do not have the right to remain in the country. In the case of Afghanistan, this includes administrative and technical issues such as establishing identities and obtaining the necessary travel documents.
Van Bossuyt stressed in Parliament that technical contacts concerning returns do not amount to recognition of or support for the Taliban authorities. The Belgian government is considering different options for organising the return of Afghan nationals who are subject to removal procedures.
The figure of around 60 Afghan prisoners does not mean that they will be deported immediately. Each case must go through the applicable Belgian legal procedures and individual assessment before a return can take place.
The Belgian government has made the return of foreign prisoners without legal residence a growing part of its migration policy. According to figures presented by the Minister for Asylum and Migration, more than 1,200 prisoners without legal residence were returned from Belgium to their countries of origin during the first eight months of 2026.
The possible return of Afghan nationals remains particularly sensitive because of the human-rights situation in Afghanistan and Belgium’s legal obligations, including the principle of non-refoulement, which prohibits returning a person to a place where they face a real risk of serious harm.
