BRUSSELS

The Belgian government reached an agreement on Friday to introduce a legal reform allowing the revocation of Belgian nationality for individuals convicted of serious crimes such as organized crime, homicide, or sexual offences.

Justice Minister Annelies Verlinden said the reform targets those who acquired Belgian citizenship within 15 years prior to committing the offence, state-run Belga news agency reported. Currently, this period stands at 10 years.

"Anyone guilty of serious crimes that undermine the foundations of our society may lose their Belgian citizenship," she said, adding that the reform aims to "send a strong signal."

Under the new rules, judges will be required to consider nationality revocation automatically in terrorism cases involving dual nationals, even if the prosecution does not request it.

While courts may ultimately decide not to revoke nationality, they must provide explicit justification if the consequences are deemed "unreasonable and disproportionate."

For other serious offences, including homicide, sexual offences, or organized crime, nationality may be revoked only in specific cases where the crimes pose a fundamental threat to society.

The reform also introduces a 15-year statute of limitations for filing such claims.