Son of Belgian Politician Arrested in Humanitarian Visa Scandal
The 21-year-old son of Belgian politician Melikan Kucam was arrested as part of an investigation into alleged human trafficking and irregularities involving humanitarian visas issued to people from conflict zones in Syria and Iraq.
The arrest came shortly after Kucam himself, then a 44-year-old N-VA city councillor in Mechelen, was detained in connection with allegations that large amounts of money had been requested from Syrian and Iraqi Christians in exchange for helping them obtain humanitarian visas to travel to Belgium.
Son Questioned in Humanitarian Visa Investigation
Belgian prosecutors in Antwerp suspected Kucam’s son of being involved in the same network surrounding the humanitarian visa case, and an investigating judge issued an arrest warrant on suspicion of human trafficking and related offenses.
At the time, the young man was expected to appear before the court as the investigation continued. His lawyer rejected the allegations and said that his client had only accompanied his father to Lebanon during a break from his studies and had helped with administrative work, while denying any involvement in human trafficking or extortion.
Allegations Involving Humanitarian Visas
The investigation centered on a system in which people from Syria, Iraq and neighboring areas could be considered for humanitarian visas that would allow them to travel to Belgium and seek protection.
According to Belgian prosecutors, Kucam was suspected of using his position and contacts to help place people on lists of candidates for humanitarian visas in exchange for money. Later in the investigation, prosecutors said that 219 people had allegedly been helped to obtain humanitarian visas through the network, including 96 people who were not in Belgium and did not meet the conditions for the visas.
Kucam strongly denied the allegations when he was arrested and maintained that he had not been paid for arranging the visas. At the time, he was a Mechelen city councillor for the N-VA and had been associated with the office of then-Secretary of State for Asylum and Migration Theo Francken.
The case later resulted in criminal proceedings against Kucam, his wife, his son and several other suspects. In January 2021, an Antwerp court sentenced Melikan Kucam to eight years in prison for selling humanitarian visas for personal profit.
