Flanders Tightens Rules for Foreign Clergy

Flanders has sharply reduced the number of work permits issued to foreign clergy, with the steepest decline recorded among imams, according to Flemish Employment Minister Zuhal Demir of the conservative New Flemish Alliance (N-VA).

Muslim clerics received 13 permits in 2023 and just two in 2025, while none have been issued so far this year.

“This proves that a stricter and more selective labor migration policy is working”, Demir said. She stressed that the restrictions do not discriminate on the basis of religion but are intended to prevent foreign governments from exerting influence through labor migration.

Demir has previously accused Turkey of circumventing Flemish restrictions through special passports known as “green passports”. These allow eligible Turkish citizens to enter the Schengen area without a visa for stays of up to 90 days. She has called on Belgium’s federal government to investigate their use by imams affiliated with Diyanet, Turkey’s state religious authority.

Demir argues that foreign governments should not be able to use mosques to influence Flemish residents of Turkish origin. She said foreign clerics should live and work in Flanders, respect local rules and not act on behalf of foreign governments.

(belga, bak)