The Immigration Office may soon impose a lifelong entry ban for persons on the so-called OCAD list who are staying illegally in our territory. The plenary meeting of the House agreed to this on Thursday.
Source: Belga
The Immigration Office (DVZ) can already impose entry bans on people on the ‘OCAD list’, on which people are registered who pose a potential terrorist or extremist danger. This has been happening more and more often in recent years.
Let go of term
The Immigration Department must always limit such an entry ban in time. The longest term imposed last year was 40 years. In total, almost 6,000 entry bans were imposed in 2025, but only 42 of them for a period longer than 20 years.
Minister of Asylum and Migration Anneleen Van Bossuyt (N-VA) now makes it possible to waive that period and impose a lifelong entry ban on persons on the OCAD list who are staying illegally in the country.
“Too far”
The left-wing opposition voted against the bill. For them, the measure goes too far because minors from the age of twelve can also receive a lifelong entry ban. Groen-Ecolo, PS and PVDA also question the usefulness of the reform.
Opposition parties Vlaams Belang and Anders did support the reform.
