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.
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.