Belgium has a problem with illegal secondary migration. There will be entrance checks

The Belgian government has announced that it will start conducting alleged "entry checks" on its territory this summer. The fresh actions aim to reduce illegal and secondary migration.

Ministers of the national Government – Anneleen Van Bossuyt of the fresh Flemish Alliance (N-VA), liable for asylum matters, and Bernard Quintin of the Reformation Movement (MR), head of the Ministry of Home Affairs, informed about this.

According to the announcements, inspections are to take place, among others, on large routes to the country, on parking lots at motorways, on global trains and on buses crossing the borders of Belgium. peculiar attention should be paid to non-residents and migrants who have already obtained global protection in another EU associate State.

Minister Van Bossuyt stressed that this is not formally a substance of border controls, but of actions within the territory of Belgium, which allows for Article 23 of the Schengen Agreement. “It is simply a semantic issue. The crucial thing is that the controls will be tightened up. People who have obtained protection in another country are no longer welcome in Belgium," she noted.

Germany and the Netherlands had previously introduced akin measures. The Belgian government is afraid that in the absence of action migrants will go to Belgium. "Migration is expanding especially during the summertime period, we want to counteract this," the minister added.

Police unions were skeptical about the announcement. typical of the VSOA-SLFP Vincent Houssin estimated that there was no staff to effectively carry out specified checks. "We already have staff shortages in road and transport police. If we add leave and another priorities to this, there is no clarity as to who would carry out these checks," he said.

The criticism was besides expressed by opposition parties. The Flemish Greens (Green) described the government's plans as "symbolic gestures without real influence", while the utmost right-wing Flemish Interest (Vlaams Belang) considered them late and inadequate.

Data from the Belgian Office for Foreigners show that the number of asylum applications from persons who have already obtained exile position in another EU country, in peculiar Greece, has decreased in fresh months. In November 2024 it was over 1,100 applications, presently around 200 per month.

Source: PAP