Training of the Office for Foreigners' escorts governed by royal decree

The federal government has adopted a Royal Decree of September 3, 2026, determining the modalities and content of the training for escorts of the Foreigners Office, published in the Belgian Official Gazette on September 9, 2026 (p. 49323-49327, reference C-2026/006564). This text implements Article 28/2 of the Law of December 15, 1980, on the access to the territory, residence, establishment, and removal of foreigners, and partially transposes European Directives 2003/110/EC and 2008/115/EC regarding removals by air.

The decree follows the Law of May 12, 2024, published in the Belgian Official Gazette on July 10, 2024, which inserted Article 28/2 into the 1980 law. It concerns the personnel of the Foreigners Office responsible for the forced execution of transfer, push-back, or removal measures, acting under the operational authority, direction, and coordination of a police officer.

A three-part training path

Article 3 of the decree distinguishes three complementary training programs for escorts:

• a basic training, organized by the Foreigners Office in collaboration with an accredited police academy;
• a training specifically focused on removal by air within the framework of a police operation, organized by the Federal Police;
• a mandatory refresher training, also organized by the Federal Police.

The basic training consists of seven modules: the place, function, and role of the police in society; the place of management within the integrated police; community policing; basic technical skills and introduction to primary police procedures; current events; physical and mental training; and mastery of violence. It also integrates a transversal socialization path within the Foreigners Office, including ethics, data protection, and practical immersion in a closed center. Its reference duration is set at three months.

Access conditions and evaluation

Access to the specific training for removal by air is subject to two cumulative conditions: passing the final evaluation of the basic training with a total score of at least 60% for each module, and a participation rate in the basic training of at least 80%. This specific training corresponds to the functional training “repatriation escort” referred to in the annex of the Ministerial Decree of December 23, 2005, and concludes with a practical internship sanctioned by an interview before an evaluation commission of the Federal Police. The aspiring escort must be declared fit by this commission to be effectively deployed during air escort missions.

The refresher training is taken for the first time one year after the successful completion of the practical internship, and is then organized annually.

A prerequisite for the use of coercion

The decree gives effect to Article 28/2 of the 1980 law, which authorizes escorts from the Foreigners Office to resort to coercion against a foreign national, provided they have received the necessary training. The means of coercion concerned, assimilated to those of police officers, include security searches, the use of force, and the application of handcuffs, as provided for in Articles 28, § 1, 37, 37bis, and 37ter of the law of August 5, 1992, on the police function. The Minister responsible for the Interior and the Minister responsible for access to the territory, residence, establishment, and removal of foreigners are charged, each as far as they are concerned, with the execution of the decree, issued in Brussels on September 3, 2026.

Scope of the measure

By strictly framing the training of escorts, this royal decree harmonizes Belgian practices with European standards on removals by air, while conditioning the use of coercion on a verified professional qualification. For readers, it guarantees that escort missions are entrusted to duly trained and evaluated personnel, within a precise legal framework.

Official Reference: Royal Decree of September 3, 2026, determining the modalities and content of the training for staff members of the Foreigners Office referred to in Article 28/2, paragraph 1, of the law of December 15, 1980, published in the Belgian Official Gazette on September 9, 2026, p. 49323-49327, reference C-2026/006564.