Belgium puts price on citizenship to dispel tax-haven appeal

Gerard Depardieu

Belgian citizenship may be a big draw for French stars looking to ease their tax bills, but it seems their neighbours are increasingly discerning about who they accept. Not one person has gained citizenship this year in Belgium under new naturalisation laws.

More than 500 applications filed this year are expected to be refused, even those from the rich and famous. French luxury goods magnate Bernard Arnault was among those rebuffed.

Under laws that came into force in January, people applying for citizenship must have lived in Belgium for five years and be able to prove they have integrated into society, speaking at least one of the country's three official languages and meeting strict economic requirements.

There is also a fast-track option known as naturalisation. In the past, applicants could apply if they had lived in Belgium for three years and could prove true ties with the nation of 11 million people.

Now, they must demonstrate outstanding services to Belgium in fields such as culture, sport or science.

No one, it seem, was quite outstanding enough. The French-language daily La Libre reported this week that of the 508 people who had applied under the new naturalisation laws from January to the end of November, not one was expected to be approved.

Applications have also dropped dramatically. Last year, a record 18,731 people applied for naturalisation, and 4,838 were successful.

This year, 2,547 applications are being processed, although 2039 of them are outstanding from previous years and being considered under the old laws.

Belgian MP Georges Dallemagne called the previous legislation too broad, telling La Libre that the concept of true ties was very vague. Parliament was also required to approve each naturalisation request, and the increasing number of applications was creating large backlogs.

Dallemagne said the new laws were an evolution in the right direction, adding that once the backlog of applications under the old laws was cleared up, he expected only two or three people to gain citizenship through the naturalisation law each month.

Despite the drop in naturalisation requests, foreigners can apply under general citizenship laws; migrant workers can also apply for temporary residency. EU citizens can live and work freely in Belgium. The nation granted protection to 5,880 refugees last year, more than most European countries in relation to its population.

Even before the laws were toughened up, some seemingly ideal Belgians lost out. French crooner Johnny Hallyday, whose father is Belgian, had his application turned down in 2006 because he failed to meet the residency requirement.

Arnault, France's richest man and chairman of LVMH, the luxury goods firm, applied last year under the old laws but was turned down in January because the naturalisation board was unconvinced he had had a principal residence in Belgium for the required three years.

One person who did manage to become at least partly Belgian this year was the French actor, Gerard Depardieu.

He was granted honorary citizenship in August, after shifting a few miles over the border and buying a house in the village of Nechin.

The star of Asterix and Obelix and Green Card moved to Belgium last year after Francois Hollande's socialist government announced plans for a 75 per cent wealth tax.

The actor insists, though, his decision was motivated by his love of Belgian cuisine.

- Independent