Belgium’s Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot told the Chamber of Representatives on Tuesday, 26 May 2026, that organising a fresh evacuation mission for Palestinians holding Belgian visas in the Gaza Strip is "not a realistic option". Although Israel re-opened the Kerem Shalom crossing in March, Prévot explained that any operation would still require delicate trilateral coordination with Israel and Egypt, onward transit through Jordan, and charter capacity to Europe—logistics that Brussels cannot guarantee amid the volatile security situation. Roughly 1,400 people—most of them relatives of Belgian residents admitted under family-reunification visas, plus a handful of researchers and scholarship students—remain trapped in the enclave. Belgium has already extracted about 1,000 people since October 2023, putting it "among the most active EU states", Prévot stressed, but each convoy involved ad-hoc agreements brokered by third countries and humanitarian agencies. MPs from Groen, PTB and PS pressed the government to act, accusing officials of failing to place all visa-holders on Israel’s exit lists. Prévot rejected the allegation but confirmed that an inter-agency task-force has been studying alternatives—including coordination with partner NGOs and possible sea routes—since December 2025, without success.
![Belgium rules out new evacuation flights for 1,400 Gaza-based Belgian visa-holders]()
At a practical level, families and employers needing to renew or replace Belgian travel documents amid such uncertainty can simplify the process through VisaHQ’s dedicated portal; the platform offers step-by-step guidance, document review and courier submission services for Belgium-bound visas and extensions—details are available at https://www.visahq.com/belgium/
The Minister underlined a legal nuance often misunderstood by families: possession of a Belgian D-visa or C-visa does not create an automatic right to state-organised evacuation. Instead, it only guarantees entry into Belgium once the traveller reaches a Schengen border post. For globally mobile employers, the statement signals that staff relatives caught in conflict zones should not assume consular airlifts will materialise; contingency plans and private-sector security contracts may be required. Travel managers should also note that visa validity may lapse before holders can depart, necessitating renewal waivers once they eventually exit Gaza.
At a practical level, families and employers needing to renew or replace Belgian travel documents amid such uncertainty can simplify the process through VisaHQ’s dedicated portal; the platform offers step-by-step guidance, document review and courier submission services for Belgium-bound visas and extensions—details are available at https://www.visahq.com/belgium/
The Minister underlined a legal nuance often misunderstood by families: possession of a Belgian D-visa or C-visa does not create an automatic right to state-organised evacuation. Instead, it only guarantees entry into Belgium once the traveller reaches a Schengen border post. For globally mobile employers, the statement signals that staff relatives caught in conflict zones should not assume consular airlifts will materialise; contingency plans and private-sector security contracts may be required. Travel managers should also note that visa validity may lapse before holders can depart, necessitating renewal waivers once they eventually exit Gaza.
