Around 1,000 Palestinians currently trapped in Gaza hold visas allowing them to travel to Belgium, but the Belgian government is not planning any new evacuation operations for now, according to De Standaard.
Figures obtained by the newspaper from Belgium's Foreign Affairs Ministry show that roughly a thousand visa holders remain inside the Palestinian enclave, including a Belgian baby just a few months old.
Most visas were issued as part of family reunification procedures.
However, holding a Belgian visa does not automatically grant access to a government-organised evacuation.
Under rules approved by Belgium's previous federal government, evacuations from Gaza are limited to the partners and minor children of Belgian nationals and recognised refugees.
The current government, led by Prime Minister Bart De Wever (N-VA), has reportedly not added any new names to the evacuation list since April 2025.
According to the office of Foreign Affairs Minister Maxime Prévot (Les Engagés), evacuation operations require "significant resources" and place "major pressure" on government services.
Belgium, therefore, continues to consider evacuations as exceptional emergency measures rather than a standard right linked to visa approval.
