Belgian Justice Minister resigns over negligence in attack that killed 2 Swedes: 'The mistake was mine'

Van Quickenborne held a press conference regarding the latest developments in the investigation into the armed attack that resulted in the deaths of two Swedes on October 16.

Stating that an "unacceptable error" was discovered during the investigation, van Quickenborne reported that the Tunisian perpetrator of the attack had been requested for extradition by his country on August 15, 2022, but that the Belgian federal prosecutor's office had not processed this request.

Van Quickenborne stated that he took responsibility for the "error with dramatic consequences" and that he had submitted his resignation to Prime Minister Alexander de Croo.

De Croo also announced in a statement on his X account that he had accepted van Quickenborne's resignation.

INCIDENT TRIGGERS EU TO PUT "RAPID RETURN" OF IRREGULAR MIGRANTS ON THE AGENDA

It was revealed that the attacker, who opened fire indiscriminately in the capital Brussels on the evening of October 16, causing the deaths of two Swedes, and who was killed by police fire the following day, was Tunisian, and that his asylum application made in 2019 had been rejected in 2021, but he had continued to stay in Belgium.

The incident was discussed at the meeting of Interior Ministers of European Union (EU) countries on October 19.

In a statement after the meeting, Ylva Johansson, the EU Commissioner for Home Affairs, emphasized the importance of returning third-country nationals who do not have the legal right to stay within the EU, stating, "The attack in Brussels was a wake-up call. The terrorist attacker had arrived from Tunisia 12 years ago and was able to live here even though his asylum application had been rejected multiple times. It is not the time to blame anyone, but we should all look at this as a wake-up call and work much harder on this issue."

"UNDOCUMENTED" INDIVIDUALS ARE A CHRONIC PROBLEM IN BELGIUM

In Belgium, people who have reached the country through various means and whose asylum applications have been rejected remain in the country for years without legal grounds.

These individuals, referred to as "undocumented" (sans-papiers), occasionally make their names heard through hunger strikes, demanding residence and work permits. However, Belgium does not compromise on its strict stance, nor does it provide a permanent solution to the situation.

VAN QUICKENBORNE WAS CRITICIZED FOR HIS DISCRIMINATORY ATTITUDE TOWARD THE MUSLIM COMMUNITY

Van Quickenborne, from the Flemish Open Vld party, had been the target of criticism by the Muslim community for pursuing discriminatory policies since he took office in 2020.

Van Quickenborne had initiated a process to revoke the official recognition of the Muslim Executive of Belgium, which manages relations with the government on behalf of the Muslim community; in response, the Executive had filed a lawsuit against the former Minister on the grounds that he "illegally interfered with its operations."

News Source: AA