Belgium expels Moroccan imam for alleged 'extremism'

Accused of extremism, a Moroccan imam who fled to Belgium last year after France deported him was in turn expelled on Saturday by Brussels.

Hassan Iquioussen, accused of "inciting hatred and discrimination" by Belgium, was deported after taking refuge there when he was deported by France last summer.

Nicole de Moor, Belgium’s secretary of state for asylum and migration, said in a statement that it is not possible for Brussels to allow extremists to stay in the country.

After leaving Brussels, Iquioussen shared images on social media of him being greeted by his family at Casablanca Airport and Moroccan authorities also welcoming him back.

Moroccan authorities have yet to comment on the deportation or the charges against Iquioussen.

"The Moroccan imam made statements that contradicted the values of France, secularism, and the principle of equality between women and men,” French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said on Twitter last July.

France’s Council of State gave the green light for the imam’s deportation last August.

Iquioussen fled to Belgium after his deportation from France and was arrested there in September.

* Writing by Gozde Bayar