Belgian Parliament approves law allowing home raids to detain undocumented migrants
The Belgian Parliament approved a controversial law allowing police to raid homes to detain and deport undocumented migrants, amid criticism from Amnesty International.
Translated by Qiyas from كونا — Original source
Brussels, Nov 6 (KUNA) -- The Belgian parliament approved on Friday a controversial law that authorizes police to conduct raids on private homes with prior judicial authorization to detain migrants residing illegally in the country, with a view to their deportation. The law’s passage followed a tumultuous parliamentary session lasting about ten hours, which ended with a vote in its favor on Friday morning. It was supported by the governing coalition parties, known as “Arizona,” and the liberal “Open VLD” party, while socialist, environmental, and left-wing parties voted against it, and the “Vlaams Belang” party abstained.
The law permits police to enter the residence of the person concerned or a third party’s home that harbors them, between 5 a.m. and 9 p.m. local time, to search for individuals against whom departure orders have been issued and who are to be deported, provided they refuse to cooperate with expulsion procedures and there are reasonable grounds to believe they pose a threat to public order or national security, as well as obtaining prior judicial authorization.
The passage of the law drew criticism due to the timing of the session and the vote amid the country’s political crisis, following Prime Minister Bart De Wever’s submission of his government’s resignation to the King earlier this week after difficulties in reaching an agreement on the budget. The King had intended to discuss the resignation with him on Friday.
Amnesty International warned in a statement that the law constitutes a serious violation of the right to privacy and family life, and could sow fear and division in society. The organization noted that police powers include raiding homes even in the presence of children and searching them for identity documents.
The organization criticized the “absence of effective safeguards” that would allow affected individuals or those hosting them to challenge home visit decisions or object to their proportionality, emphasizing that the law could deter citizens from offering assistance and shelter to migrants.
The bill also drew comparisons with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), as activists chanted slogans opposing what they described as the creation of a Belgian version of the agency during the session. Protests inside the parliamentary chamber led to the removal of several activists. (End) ARN / T.M.A
