Theo Francken | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Theo Francken in 2021 | |
| Member of the Chamber of Representatives | |
| Assumed office 6 July 2010 | |
| Secretary of State for Asylum, Migration and Administrative Simplification | |
| In office 11 October 2014 – 9 December 2018 | |
| Prime Minister | Charles Michel |
| Succeeded by | Maggie De Block |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 7 February 1978 Lubbeek, Belgium |
| Political party | New Flemish Alliance |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | KU Leuven |
| Website | Party website |
Theo Francken (born 7 February 1978) is a Belgian politician who has been a member of the Chamber of Representatives since 2010. He is a member of the New Flemish Alliance (N-VA), a conservative Flemish nationalist party.
Francken was made state secretary for asylum and migration in the first Charles Michel cabinet in 2014, where he became prominent for his controversial zero tolerance approach to illegal immigration in the midst of the European migrant crisis. Francken and the N-VA opposed Belgium's support of the Global Compact for Migration, leading them to exit the coalition government in December 2018 and thereby trigger its collapse.
Since the 2024 Belgian federal election, he has served as the N-VA's faction leader in parliament.