(European Conservative) The Belgian nationalist party Vlaams Belang has voiced concern over a steady rise in the number of foreign imams entering Belgium during Ramadan. MP Francesca Van Belleghem reported that visa approvals for these religious figures increased from 31 in 2022 to 83 in 2023, with nearly 80 granted in 2025. Most of the imams come from Morocco, with others arriving from Egypt and Algeria.
Van Belleghem criticised the government for allocating significant funds to integration programmes while, at the same time, admitting religious leaders who, she argues, promote segregation and undermine social cohesion.
The party claims that many of these imams enter the country with little or no oversight and may spread messages that conflict with Belgian values.
