Flemish government recognizes 26 faith communities and rejects 32 applications

Flemish Minister Approves Recognition of Local Faith Communities

Hilde Crevits (CD&V), the Flemish minister for Internal Affairs, has approved 26 of the 58 pending applications for official recognition of local faith communities. The remaining 32 applications were rejected for failing to meet the legal requirements., reports 24brussels.

Crevits made her decisions after consulting local authorities, provincial administrations, the Federal minister of Justice, and the Flemish Information and Screening Service (ISD).

Of the 64 applications received, six remain unresolved due to incomplete security assessments or further inquiries from the minister, including concerns regarding potential ‘Russian influence’ in a Russian Orthodox church in Mechelen. Among the approved communities are 17 Islamic, four Orthodox, and five Protestant congregations.

Strict Conditions for Recognition

The current recognition framework was established by a 2021 decree, which followed a freeze initiated in 2017 under former N-VA minister Liesbeth Homans. The law imposes strict conditions, including a prohibition on foreign interference and funding. Parts of the decree were annulled by the Constitutional Court in 2023, but a revised version was subsequently adopted in 2024.

Recognition permits communities to apply for state-funded salaries for their religious leaders through the federal Ministry of Justice. However, over half of the applicants—32 in total—received negative recommendations from the screening body. Rejections were based on factors such as security risks, foreign control, lack of independence, insufficient financial transparency, or failure to secure long-term use rights for their places of worship.

I have always preferred recognised communities to ‘garage congregations’

Communities denied recognition may address the identified shortcomings and reapply, although this process can take up to four years. Crevits acknowledged that lack of recognition could threaten the viability of certain mosques, stating, “I have always preferred recognised communities to ‘garage congregations’, but the criteria were approved by Parliament. My role is to apply them based on the available evidence.”

Currently, there are over 1,500 faith communities officially recognized in Flanders. However, even recognized groups remain subject to ongoing scrutiny by the ISD and may lose their recognition if serious issues are identified.