Middle East involvement of Belgians raises fear of terrorist action

On Tuesday evening, following almost five months of negotiations, Belgium formed a new federal government. The centre-right, four-party government includes the Flemish party N-VA, marking the first time a separatist party will be a member of the ruling government coalition.

Belgium’s unique political structure has been lauded by many as a model of political inclusivity, its incongruous, multilayered system allowing the very different political and linguistic communities within Belgium to co-exist peacefully.

But there is growing concern in Belgium that another sector of society is feeling increasingly marginalised. As global concern grows about the participation of European citizens in the war in Syria, Belgium is one of the countries with the highest proportion of citizens who have left to fight in the Middle East. The country of 11 million has long been home to a large Muslim population, but it is estimated to have the second-highest proportion of so-called "foreign fighters" in the EU after Britain.

Estimates put the number of Belgium citizens who have travelled to the Syrian region at up to 400, with police attention focusing on the activity of radical group Sharia4Belgium. According to Europol, Belgium was one of a number of EU countries that defused terrorist plots last year.

Last week, a high-profile terrorist trial opened in Antwerp. Some 46 members of Sharia4Belgium are being accused of recruiting Muslims to fight for Islamic State, though only eight of the accused were in court. The remaining suspects are believed to be fighting in Syria.

Tensions have increased since the assassination of four people in the Jewish museum in Brussels in May. A 29-year-old French-Algerian, Mehdi Nemmouche, was arrested in Marseilles a week later. The suspect is believed to have been radicalised while serving time in jail for petty crime and had recently returned from a year in Syria.

Two weeks ago, Dutch media reported that Belgian authorities had averted a terrorist attack on the European Commission headquarters in Brussels. Though the EU declined to confirm any specific threat, heightened security remains in place.

Fight against IS

Belgium’s decision to join the US-led coalition against IS has also increased fears that Brussels could become a terrorist target. On Sunday, Belgian media reported that six Belgian F16 fighter planes had taken part on a coalition attack on IS targets near Fallujah. Belgium opposed the

Iraq

war in 2003, but public opinion favours the current engagement against IS.

Growing evidence of “home-grown” terrorism has raised questions about the EU’s ability to curb the rise of extremism within its borders. In May, Europol warned the threat to the EU from terrorists is likely to increase exponentially, with European fighters posing an “increased threat to all EU members states on their return”.

This question of whether a more collective EU response is needed will be discussed at today's meeting of justice and home affairs ministers in Luxembourg, which will be attended by Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald. It follows a commitment by EU leaders at the last EU summit to accelerate measures to stop the flow of foreign fighters to the Syrian region.

Among the items on the agenda is the stalled EU initiative on the sharing of passenger name records – data provided by passengers when reserving and travelling on flights. While virtually all 28 EU member states have been pushing for greater sharing of information between countries as a counter-terrorism measure, the proposal has been stalled in the European Parliament amid concerns over data privacy.

Ministers are expected to renew calls today for progress on the measure, while reiterating assurances that sufficient safeguards are in place to protect personal data, in light of the growing terrorist threat.

Also under discussion will be the tightening of border controls within the Schengen area. Although Ireland and Britain are not members of the border-free zone, discussion will centre on whether systematic checks of people should be introduced. The council is also expected to receive an update on Operation Archimedes, an international law-enforcement operation targeting organised crime.

Ireland is one of 34 countries taking part in the initiative. During one week last month, more than 1,000 arrests were made, including 106 in Ireland.

Whether specific measures will be adopted by the council today is uncertain – any major changes to the Schengen system are unlikely. But as the threat from IS reaches the border of Turkey, a country neighbouring the EU and a Nato member, the need for a cohesive EU response to the threat of radical Islam has never seemed stronger.