IGLULIK - A priest charged with sex crimes in Iglulik was arrested in Belgium because he is living as an illegal immigrant there, a Belgian official confirmed.

Eric Dejaeger has been held in the city of Bruges in a centre for illegal aliens since Jan. 3, said an official who did not want to be identified.

"He is not held for any criminal act committed on Belgian territory. He did not respect Belgian legislation on residence for non-Belgians," he stated via e-mail.

Dejaeger, a Catholic priest facing six 30-year-old sex charges stemming from his time in Iglulik in the late 1970s and early 1980s, turned himself in to Belgian police last fall before being released.

The 63-year-old is facing three counts each of buggery and indecent assault for incidents alleged to have occurred between Sept. 26, 1978 and Aug. 9, 1982 at or near the hamlet of Iglulik, according to his arrest warrant issued April 22, 2002.

Dejaeger was convicted on eight counts of sexual assault and one count of indecent assault in Baker Lake on April 6, 1990 and was sentenced to five years in prison, according to information provided by the Northwest Territories Courts.

The Belgian official stated Dejaeger, a Canadian citizen, overstayed his allowable stay of three months without a visa in Belgium. The next step is his return to Canada but he could not comment further.

In Iglulik, where the alleged offences took place, deputy mayor Paul Quassa, who used to know Dejaeger when he lived in the community, said it's "high time" they bring him back to Canada

"He has to be brought back, that's for sure, because here in our community, there are some ripple effects," he said.

He added he hopes the Belgian government acts quickly on the file.