Case Law

The court annulled parts of the recently amended Belgian legislation by finding: 1) refugees cannot be prosecuted based on illegal entry or stay, 2) asking refugees to deposit their original documents for the entirety of the procedure violated their right to privacy, 3) the provision regarding detention is justified for purposes of investigation prior to admission, and 4) the shortened appeal period (from 15 to 10 days) was not unconstitutional. The court annulled 7 provisions and clarified 7 others.

25 February 2021 | Judicial Body: Belgium: Cour constitutionnelle | Countries: Belgium

The court annulled article 1 of the Law of 15 december 1980 on aliens on the grounds that, the absence of an derogatory regime to the benefit of stateless persons for the fee due in the residence regularisation procedure, constitutes an unjustified difference of treatment between refugees and stateless persons. The absence of an automatic right of residence implies that, de facto, stateless persons have to pay this fee whilst refugees do not.

22 February 2018 | Judicial Body: Belgium: Cour constitutionnelle | Topic(s): Access to procedures - Equality before the law - Residence permits / Residency - Statelessness | Countries: Belgium

16 January 2014 | Judicial Body: Belgium: Cour constitutionnelle | Topic(s): Effective remedy - Safe country of origin | Countries: Albania - Belgium - Bosnia and Herzegovina - India - Montenegro - North Macedonia - Serbia

19 December 2013 | Judicial Body: Belgium: Cour constitutionnelle | Topic(s): Children's rights - Immigration Detention - Prison or detention conditions | Countries: Belgium

26 September 2013 | Judicial Body: Belgium: Cour constitutionnelle | Topic(s): Family reunification | Countries: Belgium

11 January 2012 | Judicial Body: Belgium: Cour constitutionnelle | Topic(s): Rights of non-citizens - Statelessness - Statelessness | Countries: Belgium - Uzbekistan

This is a decision on the constitutionality of certain aspects of the Belgian Aliens Act of 15 December 1980 (Loi du 15 décembre 1980 sur l'accès au territoire, le séjour, l'établissement et l'éloignement des étrangers), as amended by the law of 15 September 2006.

26 June 2008 | Judicial Body: Belgium: Cour constitutionnelle | Topic(s): Family reunification - Right to family life | Countries: Belgium

This is a decision on the constitutionality of certain aspects of the Belgian Aliens Act (Loi du 15 décembre 1980 sur l'accès au territoire, le séjour, l'établissement et l'éloignement des étrangers), as amended by the law of 15 September 2006.

27 May 2008 | Judicial Body: Belgium: Cour constitutionnelle | Topic(s): Access to procedures - Appeal / Right to appeal | Countries: Belgium

En cause: les recours en annulation partielle de la loi du 15 décembre 1980 sur l'accès au territoire, le séjour, l'établissement et l'éloignement des étrangers, modifiée par la loi du 18 juillet 1991, introduits par l'Ordre national des avocats de Belgique et les associations sans but lucratif Amnesty International-Belgique francophone, Mouvement contre le racisme, l'antisémitisme et la xénophobie, Ligue des droits de l'homme et Syndicat des avocats pour la démocratie.

4 March 1993 | Judicial Body: Belgium: Cour constitutionnelle | Countries: Belgium