Belgian Minister of the Interior Bernard Quintin (MR) has ruled out asking for UK financial support to prevent migrants attempting to cross the English Channel from the Belgian coast.
Speaking in Parliament on Wednesday, French-speaking liberal party minister Quintin stated that Belgium was willing to cooperate closely with the UK but would not "beg" for financial assistance.
"Belgium is not a beggar that lets its policies depend on foreign cheques," he said. "I am open to cooperation, but we are not going to stand there with our cap in hand."
The minister was responding to questions about the increasing number of migrants attempting to reach the UK by small boat from the Belgian coast.
Coastal police zones have recently called on the Federal Government to seek financial support from Britain, similar to the agreement London reached with France. Under that deal, the UK committed more than £660 million to help French authorities tackle small boat crossings.
Quintin argued that relying on foreign funding could undermine Belgium's control over migration policy and law enforcement.
"We must safeguard our independence and the rule of law," he said.
His position drew criticism from coalition partners. Flemish nationalist MP Maaike De Vreese (N-VA) said she did not view British funding as a threat to Belgian sovereignty but rather as an example of effective cooperation between neighbouring countries.
Christian democratic MP Tine Gielis (CD&V) also urged the minister to reconsider, arguing that British financial support had delivered results elsewhere.
In recent years, coastal police forces received more than €2 million from the UK, which was used to purchase surveillance equipment, drones, and patrol vehicles to prevent irregular Channel crossings.
Quintin stressed that Belgium remains open to operational cooperation with British authorities, including intelligence sharing and joint efforts against migrant smuggling networks.
He noted that Belgium is preparing to become the first EU member state to sign an agreement with the UK allowing direct information exchanges between police services.
While he did not rule out a broader agreement that could include financial support, Quintin said any such arrangement would need to be negotiated through proper channels.
"Money is neither the problem nor the miracle solution," he said. "If British financial support solved the issue, it would already have been solved in France."
