Abstract
During the 2000s and 2010s Belgium found itself at the centre of European concern over Islamist radicalisation for both its position as a ‘staging area’ for attacks in other European countries, along with seeing the highest number of foreign fighters per capita leave to fight in recent wars in Algeria, Iraq and Syria than any other European country. In response, Belgium introduced more expanded, connected and comprehensive measures to tackle and prevent radicalisation, which have had significant effects for the country’s welfare and crime prevention work more generally. In this chapter we outline Belgium’s approach to the prevention of radicalisation, and analyse how they have been implemented across different spheres, what understandings of ‘radicalisation’ they are based on, and their wider effects on prevention and welfare work in the country. We show how, in part a result of Belgium’s complex federal structure, a patchwork of understandings and responses of what the issue is and how to address it emerged, and this has created tensions between repressive and social domains, where different and sometimes competing forces can push and pull against one another.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Similar content being viewed by others
Notes
- 1.
See ‘ Plan R’, p. 10: https://www.besafe.be/sites/default/files/2019-06/planr_en.pdf.
- 2.
- 3.
See: http://grease.eui.eu/.
- 4.
See http://besafe.jdbi.eu/sites/besafe.localhost/files/u3051/planr_en.pdf. Last accessed 02/12/2019.
- 5.
References
Adam, I. and Torrekens, C. (2015). ‘Different Regional Approaches to Immigration Related Cultural Diversity: Interpreting the Belgian Cultural Diversity Policy paradox’, Fédéralisme Régionalisme, vol.15.
Andre, V. (2017). Addressing the New Landscape of Terrorism: Towards formulating actionable response, Conference Report. https://www.voxpol.eu/wpfb-file/new-landscape-of-terrorism-bkk-report-pdf/. Accessed: 19/03/2019.
Coolsaet, R. (2016). Facing the Fourth Foreign Fighters Wave. What Drives Europeans to Syria? Insights from the Belgian Case, Egmont Paper 81, Brussels: Egmont.
Coolsaet, R. and Struye de Swielande, T. (2007). Belgium and Counterterrorism Policy in the Jihadi Era (1986–2007), Egmont Paper 15, Brussels: Egmont.
Colaert, L. (2017). ‘Conclusions: Translating research into policy’. In Lore Coleart (ed.) De-radicalisation: Scientific Insights for Policy, (pp. 157–189). Brussels: Flemish Peace Institute.
De Backer, M. et. al (2019). CONRAD Constructive analysis on the attitudes, policies and programmes that relate to “radicalisation”. Brussels: Belgian Science Policy Office.
Devroe, E. and Ponsaers, P. (2018). ‘The Power Context of Police Reform in Belgium—The Brussels Case: A shift in the style of policing after the terrorist attacks’, Policing: A Journal of Policy and Practice, pp. 1–15.
Jaminé, S. and Fadil, N. (2019). ‘(De-) Radicalisation as a Negotiated Practice: An Ethnographic Case Study in Flanders’. In N. Fadil, M. de Koning and F. Ragazzi (eds.), Radicalisation in Belgium and the Netherlands: Critical Perspectives on Violence and Security (pp. 169–193). London: I.B. Taurus.
Kustermans, J. (2015). Dealing with Radicalisation: Four Reflections on Flemish Radicalisation Policy, Flemish Peace Institute.
Lasoen, K. L. (2018). ‘Plan B(ruxellles): Belgian Intelligence and the Terrorist Attacks of 2015–16, Terrorism and Political Violence 32 (6), 1291–1309.
Ponsaers, P. and Devroe, E. (2016). ‘How integrated is local prevention of radicalization and terrorism?’. In T. Renard (ed.), Counterterrorism in Belgium: Key Challenges and Policy Options, Egmont Paper 89. Brussels: Egmont. http://www.egmontinstitute.be/content/uploads/2016/10/Egmont-Paper-89_OFFICIAL-FINAL.pdf?type=pdf. Accessed: 19/03/2019.
Ponsaers, P. & Devroe, E. (2017). ‘The Brussels Bombings—Striking a Balance between Law Enforcement and Risk Management’. In A. M. Kellner (ed.), Democracy and Terrorism—Experiences in Coping with Terror Attacks—Case Studies from Belgium, France, Israel and Norway (pp. 5–14). Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, Berlin: International Policy Analysis.
Roex, I. and Vermeulen, F. (2019). ‘Pre-emptive Measures Against Radicalisation and Local Partnerships in Antwerp’. In N. Fadil, M. de Koning and F. Ragazzi (eds.), Radicalisation in Belgium and the Netherlands: Critical Perspectives on Violence and Security (pp. 131–167). London: I.B. Taurus.
Seron, V. and André, S. (2016). ‘30 measures against terrorism: penal populism between expected efficiency and potential collateral damage’. In T. Renard (ed.), Counterterrorism in Belgium: Key Challenges and Policy Options (pp. 10–22), Egmont Paper 89. Brussels: Egmont. http://www.egmontinstitute.be/content/uploads/2016/10/Egmont-Paper-89_OFFICIAL-FINAL.pdf?type=pdf. Accessed: 19/03/2
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2022 Der/die Autor(en), exklusiv lizenziert an Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden GmbH, ein Teil von Springer Nature
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Sealy, T., Modood, T. (2022). Preventing radicalisation in Belgium. In: Ceylan, R., Kiefer, M. (eds) Der islamische Fundamentalismus im 21. Jahrhundert . Islam in der Gesellschaft. Springer VS, Wiesbaden. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-37486-0_18
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-37486-0_18
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer VS, Wiesbaden
Print ISBN: 978-3-658-37485-3
Online ISBN: 978-3-658-37486-0
eBook Packages: Social Science and Law (German Language)