Belgium’s terror assault blunders tarnish its upcoming EU presidency – POLITICO

BRUSSELS — Belgium had huge plans for its upcoming Council presidency. However its dealing with of the October 16 capturing spree by Tunisian gunman Abdesalem Lassoued, which left two Swedish soccer supporters useless, has since led to a sequence of embarrassing revelations.

Lassoued was dwelling residing within the nation as an undocumented migrant after Belgian authorities reject his asylum declare in 2020, and was recognized to regulation enforcement for “suspicious actions.” His nation of origin, Tunisia, had even requested for his extradition — a truth missed by the nation’s judicial system. Belgium’s justice minister stop whereas the nation’s inside affairs and asylum and migration ministers needed to seem twice earlier than lawmakers to clarify why they, too, shouldn’t resign.

For Belgium it’s been an ungainly lead-up to its Council presidency, having wished to impress in these very areas the place it has now clearly failed: migration and the combat in opposition to organized crime.

At first, Belgium noticed components of the Brussels assault as additional justification of its presidency priorities.

Lassoued had been denied asylum in October 2020, however a letter telling him to go away Belgium was by no means delivered. The blunder illustrated how European nations battle to prepare compelled returns, through which they’re additionally depending on nations of origin.

Making “good preparations with different nations, additionally as regards to the nations of origin” could be a Belgian precedence throughout its presidency, Prime Minister Alexander De Croo mentioned a day after the assault.

Two days later, throughout a joint press convention with Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and Fee President Ursula von der Leyen, De Croo upped the ante, declaring that the “highest precedence” was bringing the EU’s asylum and migration pact to “a profitable finish.”

However a day later, on October 20, it emerged Tunisia had requested for his extradition.

That request gathered mud within the workplace of a Brussels prosecutor — triggering the resignation of Justice Minister Vincent Van Quickenborne, who earlier had lamented Belgium’s safety companies confronted “an unwillingness by sure North African nations to take again their unlawful [migrants].”

Specialists say Belgium stays credible as regards to compelled returns however concede the stakes have been raised for its EU presidency.

“That is embarrassing, however these occasions occur fairly often and there’s a sure understanding for that. This might have occurred in different nations as effectively,” mentioned Hendrik Vos, professor of European research at Ghent College. “The willingness to complete [the migration pact] can be even larger.”

Chatting with reporters forward of the European Council, De Croo additionally denied the snafu would impression Belgium’s credibility.

“Sure, certainly, the individual we’re talking of, there was an extradition request, however he was additionally unlawful. He was unlawful earlier than. It’s true that the Belgian dialogue has moved, however the issue stays: there’s an infinite quantity of folks that acquired the order to go away the nation.”

An try by Belgium and Sweden in the course of the European Council this week to tweak the textual content on terrorism and migration was rejected by different nations.

Lassoued’s rampage additionally raised different urgent questions, akin to: How was he capable of get his arms on the semi-automatic rifle he utilized in his assault?

On Thursday it grew to become clear that Lassoued might need had assist in acquiring the weapon. A fellow Tunisian, recognized solely as Lamjed Ok., was arrested and charged with homicide and tried homicide throughout an act of terrorism, in addition to with collaborating within the actions of a terrorist group.

“He can probably be linked to the weapon used,” the prosecutor’s workplace mentioned in a press launch.

The developments additionally query whether or not Belgium is doing sufficient to fight unlawful arms trafficking, which is important to organized crime. Combatting organized crime, particularly drug trafficking, is one other precedence of Belgium’s presidency, Inside Affairs Minister Annelies Verlinden advised POLITICO in Could.

However critics say unlawful arms trafficking shouldn’t be a precedence for safety forces in Belgium itself.

“You see that within the each day dealing with of these information. If in case you have a seizure of medicine, of cocaine, and a few weapons, then there’s a whole lot of consideration for the medicine, determining the place that is coming from, however there’s a lot much less examination of the gun,” mentioned Nils Duquet, director of the Flemish Peace Institute, within the wake of Lassoued’s assault.

Camille Gijs, Barbara Moens and Jacopo Barigazzi contributed reporting.