ECJ to rule on whether member states are obliged to grant humanitarian visas to people outside EU territory

The country’s foreigners’ claims council has asked the court to rule on the case of a Syrian family of four after the Belgian government refused to grant them visas which they requested from the embassy in Lebanon.

The council had approved the family’s claim and an appeal court upheld the decision, determining that the Belgian government must pay €1,000 for each family member per day until it complies with the decision.

Theo Francken, of the Flemish nationalist N-VA party insisted, however, that the visas will “not be delivered”. Doing so, he said, would establish a “dangerous precedent”.

He said: “It threatens to start an influx in front of our consulates in Beirut and Ankara.”

Belgian Prime Minister Chalres Michel said he would not “open the door to humanitarian visas all over the world, allowing visa requests even when there is no link with Belgium”.

The ECJ’s ruling is expected within three to five months.