Theo Francken

Following a series of alerts about drones near sensitive sites, the Defence Ministry committed approximately €50 million to drones and counter-drone equipment through a procedure without an open tender. A press investigation raised questions about the justification for urgency, supplier selection and certain initial claims. Prosecutors opened an investigation.

State of the evidence

Purchase, negotiated procedure and preliminary investigation documented; personal offence not established

Legal status — source text

Brussels prosecutors: investigation opened in April 2026 against persons unknown for interference with public tenders and public-sector corruption; Francken not charged in the sources retained

Attribution

Direct responsibility as the minister promoting the plan; criminal liability not established

The Melikan Kucam case revealed that a local N-VA intermediary involved in selecting beneficiaries of humanitarian visas had sold his influence. The system relied partly on lists submitted to the administration during Francken's term, raising questions about his oversight of the arrangements and warnings he had received.

State of the evidence

Intermediary system and prosecution of Kucam documented; Francken's knowledge of criminal activity not established

Legal status — source text

Kucam prosecuted and subsequently convicted in his own case; Francken not charged in the sources retained

Attribution

Institutional and political responsibility; no criminal complicity attributed

Role of the person profiled

Protagonist not prosecuted

The use of a Sudanese delegation to identify nationals for return prompted serious controversy, given accusations of widespread human rights violations against Omar al-Bashir's regime. Some people who were returned subsequently alleged ill-treatment.

State of the evidence

Cooperation and judicial criticism documented; allegations of torture disputed

Legal status — source text

Brussels Court of Appeal: criticism of the failure to conduct prior individual assessments of the risk of treatment contrary to Article 3

Attribution

Direct responsibility as the competent State Secretary

The N-VA left the Michel government in December 2018 because of its opposition to the UN Global Compact for Migration. Francken's resignation symbolised the split and brought to an end a period of intense polarisation over immigration.

State of the evidence

Coalition breakdown and resignation established

Legal status — source text

Ministerial resignation formally recorded

Attribution

Direct involvement as the resigning N-VA State Secretary

Francken refused a humanitarian visa to a Syrian family from Aleppo despite several Belgian court orders requiring its issuance or attaching daily penalties to the refusal. The dispute acquired a European dimension.

State of the evidence

National decisions and CJEU judgment documented

Legal status — source text

Belgian litigation involving daily penalties; CJEU, 7 March 2017: EU law did not require issuance of the visa requested

Attribution

Direct responsibility as the competent State Secretary

Francken accused NGOs operating in the Mediterranean of indirectly contributing to people smugglers' business model, singling out Médecins sans frontières among others. His remarks prompted strong reactions from NGOs and politicians.

State of the evidence

Public statements documented

Attribution

Directly implicated

Commenting on a police operation in Maximilien Park in Brussels, Francken used the Dutch word 'opkuisen' ('clean up'), triggering controversy over the dehumanisation of migrants.

State of the evidence

Post and official reactions documented

Attribution

Directly implicated

At the height of the Catalan crisis, Francken said that granting Carles Puigdemont asylum was not unrealistic and questioned the guarantees of a fair trial in Spain. His remarks caused a diplomatic crisis and prompted clarification from the Belgian Prime Minister.

State of the evidence

Public statement and government reaction documented

Attribution

Directly implicated

Shortly after entering the federal government, Theo Francken's attendance at the 90th birthday celebration of Bob Maes, founder of the Vlaamse Militanten Orde, prompted calls for his resignation and debate about Flemish nationalism's historical links with collaboration.

State of the evidence

Attendance and controversy documented; personal ideological endorsement not established

Attribution

Direct involvement through his attendance

Old emails and posts by Francken concerning the 'added value' of certain immigrant communities resurfaced when he entered government. They prompted allegations of racism and led to a collective complaint signed by more than 4,000 people.

State of the evidence

Earlier messages and collective complaint documented; racism not legally established

Legal status — source text

Collective complaint filed; no conviction relating to these messages identified in the sources retained

Attribution

Directly implicated