The authorities in the Belgian region of Flanders have decided to revoke the work permits of five Turkish imams, local media reported. It is noted that such a decision was adopted for the first time after the introduction of legal changes that restricted the activities of foreigners whose work is paid by a foreign government.
The five imams have been working in Belgium for four years and requested renewal of their residence papers, but their requests were rejected and they must now leave the country. The legal changes introduced a few months ago are being applied for the first time and more similar decisions are expected to follow, the media noted. It is added that the decision of the Belgian authorities is subject to appeal.
According to summarized official data, the Turkish immigrants in Belgium are around 300 thousand and over 300 mosques are officially registered in the country. The work in 62 of these mosques is entrusted to the Turkish religious authorities.