Charleroi terrorist ignored deportation orders

Khaled Babouri, 33, the terrorist who attacked and injured two policewomen with a machete on Saturday in Charleroi, had been staying illegally in Belgium for the past eight years, writes Het Laatste Nieuws. He tried to remain in the country under a false medical pretext, leading to a procedure that was denied on two occasions. Both times, Babouri received an order to leave the country.

Babouri was one of thousands of illegal immigrants in Belgium, managing to stay under the radar for years despite court orders to leave. In 2012, the Algerian was caught working under the table in Florennes, and received a deportation order and an entry ban. A year later Babouri consulted with lawyers in Charleroi, who advised him to start a regularisation procedure based on medical reasons.

Babouri was shot by police following the machete attack in Charleroi, and later died from his injuries. Police are investigating whether the repeated deportation orders may have played a role in the man's decision to commit the terrorist act.

Theo Francken (pictured), state secretary for asylum and migration, recognises that there is a problem with illegal immigrants in Belgium. “There are thousands of them, reflecting the weak policies of the past. Those who have not committed serious crimes or are not on a suspected terrorist list, cannot be locked up in a detention centre.”