Belgium’s Foreign Affairs Ministry has disclosed that 505 Belgian nationals were incarcerated in foreign prisons as of 17 February – an increase of 16 since August last year. The data, published on 20 February, shows most detainees are in neighbouring EU countries such as France, Spain and Germany, but significant numbers are also held in Morocco and Turkey.
Officials caution that the real figure is likely higher because host governments do not always inform Brussels when Belgians are arrested or released. The consular-assistance unit therefore relies on families, lawyers and NGOs for tip-offs, complicating case management and repatriation negotiations.
Travellers can reduce the risk of detention by ensuring their paperwork is correct before departure. VisaHQ’s Belgium portal (https://www.visahq.com/belgium/) streamlines visa and e-visa applications, provides real-time entry-requirement alerts and offers passport services, helping Belgian nationals and the organisations that deploy them avoid inadvertent overstays or documentation errors that can lead to arrest.
![Foreign Affairs confirms 505 Belgians detained abroad, straining consular resources]()
The uptick raises questions about staffing levels at Belgian embassies and consulates. Under the Vienna Convention, diplomats must offer basic support, including prison visits and liaison with local counsel, yet the ministry’s consular budget has remained flat for three years. Unions representing foreign-service staff say rising caseloads are pushing some posts beyond capacity, especially in Spain and France where tourist arrests spike during summer.
For global mobility and duty-of-care teams the numbers serve as a reminder to brief travelling employees on local laws, ensure they have 24/7 emergency contacts and, where appropriate, engage specialist security providers. Companies with Belgian nationals on assignment should verify that local legal-aid coverage is included in insurance packages and that travellers know how to invoke consular assistance.
Lawyers note that bilateral prisoner-transfer treaties can shorten detention for some offences, but applications are paperwork-heavy and slow. Early consular notification and proactive employer involvement remain the best tools for mitigating long-term overseas incarceration.
Officials caution that the real figure is likely higher because host governments do not always inform Brussels when Belgians are arrested or released. The consular-assistance unit therefore relies on families, lawyers and NGOs for tip-offs, complicating case management and repatriation negotiations.
Travellers can reduce the risk of detention by ensuring their paperwork is correct before departure. VisaHQ’s Belgium portal (https://www.visahq.com/belgium/) streamlines visa and e-visa applications, provides real-time entry-requirement alerts and offers passport services, helping Belgian nationals and the organisations that deploy them avoid inadvertent overstays or documentation errors that can lead to arrest.
The uptick raises questions about staffing levels at Belgian embassies and consulates. Under the Vienna Convention, diplomats must offer basic support, including prison visits and liaison with local counsel, yet the ministry’s consular budget has remained flat for three years. Unions representing foreign-service staff say rising caseloads are pushing some posts beyond capacity, especially in Spain and France where tourist arrests spike during summer.
For global mobility and duty-of-care teams the numbers serve as a reminder to brief travelling employees on local laws, ensure they have 24/7 emergency contacts and, where appropriate, engage specialist security providers. Companies with Belgian nationals on assignment should verify that local legal-aid coverage is included in insurance packages and that travellers know how to invoke consular assistance.
Lawyers note that bilateral prisoner-transfer treaties can shorten detention for some offences, but applications are paperwork-heavy and slow. Early consular notification and proactive employer involvement remain the best tools for mitigating long-term overseas incarceration.
