Flemish Housing Minister Matthias Diependaele wants to make it impossible for undocumented migrants to rent homes, a measure that would require the federal government’s cooperation.
In the wake of Monday’s terror attack in Brussels, perpetrated by a Tunisian man who had been living in Belgium without the required documentation, attention has once again focused on undocumented residents. Minister Diependaele is calling for anyone without a national registration number to be barred from renting accommodation.
Landlords are already obliged to register their contracts with the tenant’s national register number. However, if this number is not available, the client’s date and place of birth are sufficient.
Flanders now wants to make a valid residence document a requirement, but the registration database is a federal responsibility.
“We’ve been arguing for its regionalisation for a long time,” said Mr. Diependaele.
He said he had already sent a letter in this regard to the federal minister responsible for combating fraud, Vincent Van Peteghem, but it has so far gone unanswered.
