The Secretary of State for Building Regulation, Mathieu Michel (MR), has reaffirmed the Belgian Government’s aim to close Saint-Gilles Prison in Brussels by the end of this year.
He confirmed this intention on the Brussels multimedia platform, BX1, on Friday morning.
Justice Minister Paul Van Tigchelt (Open Vld) had requested the postponement of the prison closure due to difficulty in recruiting prison guards for the new Haren prison building, which is intended to replace Saint-Gilles eventually .
“When you don’t have a guard to watch the inmates, there’s a problem,” Michel said in statement in which he also affirmed that a discussion on the timeline should take place in the coming weeks.
However, he wants the State to stand by the decision to close Saint Gilles by the end of 2024.
“I like it when we stick to our commitments," he said. "The decision to close was made, and I think we should honour it.”
Michel reiterated that talks have been ongoing for several months with the Brussels Region to find a conducive solution for the future of Saint Gilles Prison.
“In the end, both the Region and the Buildings Administration share a will to transform this site into a positive space for the public, offering a good mix of public and private projects, as well as community spaces,” he concluded.
