Brussels Removes 94 Illegal Offenders in Police Pact
A pioneering collaboration between the Brussels Public Prosecutor’s Office and the Immigration Office has led to the removal of 94 illegal offenders from Belgium in its first year, according to figures released on Friday. The program, launched in March 2025, embeds three Immigration Office agents within the Brussels prosecutor’s office to rapidly identify foreign nationals who have committed serious crimes while residing illegally in the country.
Context
The initiative is part of a broader crackdown on crime in Brussels under Chief Prosecutor Julien Moinil, who took office in January 2025 after nearly four years without a permanent head of the capital’s largest Public Prosecutor’s Office. Moinil inherited a city grappling with escalating drug-related violence, with 91 shootings recorded in 2024 alone.
As La Libre Belgique reported, the program targets foreign nationals suspected of serious criminal offenses — including drug trafficking, violent theft, homicide, sexual violence, and assault — rather than mere immigration violations. Narcotraffickers frequently recruit individuals in irregular immigration status as cheap, disposable labor for street-level operations, and the collaboration is designed to disrupt this recruitment pipeline.
Key Developments
Over the past year, the embedded Immigration Office agents reviewed 1,839 dossiers. Of these, 670 cases involved individuals with valid residence permits and were excluded from the program. The remaining 1,169 cases concerned individuals residing illegally in Belgium, of whom 562 were identified for return to their country of origin, another EU state, or under the Dublin Regulation.
The RTBF reported that 94 removals were ultimately carried out, representing approximately 15 to 20 percent of those identified for return. The dossiers came primarily from the Brussels-Capital/Ixelles police zone (470 cases), followed by Brussels-Midi (189) and Brussels-Nord (152).
Chief Prosecutor Moinil described the cooperation as “truly indispensable” while pleading for additional resources to continue the mission under optimal conditions, according to RTBF.
The Moinil Effect
The removal program is just one component of what observers have dubbed the “Moinil effect.” Since taking office, Moinil has implemented a strict criminal justice policy where every offense must receive a judicial response. According to The Bulletin, the number of adults placed at the disposal of the prosecutor’s office nearly tripled from 3,852 in 2024 to 10,569 in 2025. Arrest warrants doubled from 1,092 to 2,222, and fast-track court cases surged from 907 to 2,520.
The Belga News Agency reported that prosecutors also launched a Criminal Assets and Property Unit (ACP) in mid-2025, which has confiscated more than €125 million in illicit assets, with an ambitious target of €1 billion by 2029.
However, the crackdown has come at a cost. Shootings in Brussels rose to 101 in 2025, up from 91 the previous year, indicating that violence has not yet abated despite intensified enforcement.
Analysis: Resource Constraints
A consistent theme across all reporting is the gap between enforcement ambition and available resources. Moinil has repeatedly warned that the justice system lacks capacity. In an interview with VRT NWS, he stated: “I have to fight crime, but since taking office I haven’t received any additional resources.” He identified a shortfall of 100 police officers in the Brussels Federal Judicial Police and noted that overcrowded prisons force the early release of dangerous offenders.
“Last night there were three shootings. What am I supposed to do with the perpetrators? Release them because the prisons are overcrowded?” Moinil asked during the same interview.
The chief prosecutor has also faced personal risk. As Brussels Signal reported, Moinil was placed under police protection in July 2025 following threats from criminal drug networks. In late 2025, eight people were arrested in connection with a suspected plot targeting him and other magistrates.
What’s Next
The collaboration between the Brussels prosecutor and the Immigration Office could serve as a model for other Belgian cities or EU member states, particularly as the EU Migration Pact entered into force in Belgium in June 2026, standardizing asylum and return procedures across the bloc.
However, the program’s long-term success may depend on whether the federal government provides the resources Moinil has repeatedly requested. Former Minister of Justice Paul Van Tigchelt described Moinil upon his appointment as “someone who has proven himself in the fight against serious and organised crime,” as The Brussels Times reported. Whether the political will exists to match that proven capability with adequate funding remains an open question.