Belgium aims to make it easier to deport irregular immigrants

According to the official news agency Belga, the bill prepared by the Minister of Asylum and Immigration Anneleen Van Bossuyt and the Minister of Justice Annelies Verlinden includes regulations for people who do not have a legal right to stay in the country and persistently refuse to cooperate in return procedures.

The bill provides for entering the homes of those who are deemed to pose a threat to public order or national security, with judicial permission. The procedures, in which police and Immigration Department officers will participate, aim to place the relevant person under administrative detention within the scope of the deportation process.

During the discussions in the commission, opposition representatives, federal police, investigating judges and lawyers criticized the regulation. Criticisms stated that the term "threat to public order or national security" was not defined clearly enough and that safeguards to protect children's rights were insufficient.

Minister Van Bossuyt described the decision to adopt the bill in the commission as "an important advance" and stated that the regulation does not generally target persons under international protection or only those who are in an irregular situation in the country. The Minister emphasized that the transactions to be carried out in homes will be subject to certain conditions and judicial permission.

Van Bossuyt also reacted to local governments such as Leuven, which announced that they would not implement the regulation, and argued that this attitude would risk the safety of city residents.

The process in the parliament must be completed in order for the bill accepted by the commission to become law.

Belgium has been experiencing a crisis since 2021 due to lack of capacity in the reception and accommodation system of refugees. Some of the male refugees, especially those who come alone, live on the streets or in temporary shelters in the capital Brussels because they cannot find a place in the accommodation centres.