Belgian Couple Sentenced for Pension Fraud While Living in Morocco

The case began in March 2018, when an anonymous informant alerted the Federal Pensions Service. Through about twenty letters, the whistleblower provided precise details on the dates and locations of the couple’s extended stays in Morocco, which triggered a judicial investigation.

Arrived in Belgium in 2010 through family reunification, the couple, Mustapha (75 years old) and Mahjouba (72 years old), obtained Belgian nationality in 2017 and 2018. Shortly after, they began to receive the GRAPA, an allowance conditional on effective residence in Belgium. However, the investigation established that they had been living mainly in Morocco since early 2018. A home check in January 2020 also revealed an almost empty dwelling, confirming a non-real occupation.

The court emphasized the seriousness of the facts, considering "unpleasant to note that our social security system, which is based on solidarity, has been thus abused to obtain benefits to which the defendants were not entitled". The defense of the couple, who invoked the language barrier, did not convince the magistrates. Their son, Ahmed, was recognized as a co-perpetrator for his assistance in the administrative procedures.

The damage to the State amounts to several tens of thousands of euros. The Federal Pensions Service obtained the right to recover the unduly paid amounts, and the couple has begun to repay the amount, without a complete repayment schedule being specified.