The Brussels Prosecutor General’s Office is challenging the naturalisation of Imam Mohammed Toujgani, according to a report on local online platform Bruzz, confirmed by interim Secretary of State for Asylum and Migration Nicole De Moor.
The Moroccan imam moved to Belgium in the 1980s under a foreign residence permit. In 2019, as this permit neared expiry, he simultaneously applied to extend his residency and acquire Belgian citizenship.
In late July, the Brussels Court of Appeal ruled that the conservative imam qualified for citizenship, but the Prosecutor’s Office is contesting its decision. The Appeal Court’s ruling upheld a lower court decision which the prosecutor’s office had also contested.
Concerns concerning Toujgani’s proficiency in national languages and his integration into Belgian society surfaced during the proceedings, noted De Moor. In court, Toujgani used an interpreter.
De Moor found it “encouraging” that the Court of Cassation will consider the case. She emphasised that Belgian nationality, representing admittance into a community with specific norms and values, was a meaningful privilege only awarded to those meeting legal requirements, particularly the laws requiring compliance with language and integration conditions.
De Moor and her predecessor, Sammy Mahdi, had previously expressed concern about Toujgani, citing “indicators of serious risk to national security.”
According to a State Security report, these potential risks include anti-Semitic remarks, links with radical figures, and possible espionage.
