Belgian Parliament Approves Forced Entry Law for Migrants

The Belgian Parliament approved legislation allowing police to forcibly enter private residences to remove undocumented immigrants. Set to take effect next spring, the law permits the Belgian immigration office to obtain warrants from investigating judges to enter homes between 5 a.m. and 9 p.m. without consent to search for identity documents and detain individuals.

Government officials stated the raids will target individuals who were denied asylum, ignored departure orders, and are considered threats to national security or public order.

Human rights organizations, including Amnesty International and the Platform for International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants, condemned the measure. Critics argue the law is overly vague regarding the definition of a public threat and lacks an appeals process. Amnesty International characterized the legislation as a "law of fear" and compared the tactics to those used by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.