(Brussels Times) Flemish Minister for Employment Zuhal Demir has accused Turkey of abusing visa-free green passports to send pro-Erdogan imams to Belgium to influence third- and fourth-generation Flemish Turks.
She has urged Foreign Affairs Minister Maxime Prévot to launch an investigation, according to a press release issued on Sunday.
Green passports allow Turkish nationals, who would usually require a visa to enter Europe, to legally stay for up to 90 days. In Flanders, the passports also exempt holders from applying for a work permit, a requirement introduced in 2019 for religious representatives of recognised faith communities.
Demir highlighted that these regulations were tightened to limit foreign governments’ influence on local religious communities. In 2024 alone, 18 work permit applications were submitted by religious representatives, of which 17 were rejected for this reason.
