372 Belgians serving sentences in foreign gaols
According to figures released by the Belgian Foreign Ministry on Thursday, there are currently 372 Belgian serving sentences in foreign prisons. This is down slightly on the figures from a year ago. In mid-July 2014 there were 399 Belgians doing time abroad.
More than half of the Belgians serving prison sentences abroad have been locked up for narcotics offences. Others are in prison for fraud, sexual offences, violence and theft.
France has the greatest number of Belgian prisoners (87), followed by Germany (49). 45 Belgians are currently doing time in Spain, 33 in Morocco and 23 in Italy. Meanwhile, 21 Belgians are serving sentences in British gaols.
Together, gaols in France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Morocco and the UK are good for two-thirds of the Belgians serving prison sentences abroad.