Belgium’s parliament approves immigration home-entry law

Belgium’s parliament approved a law on 6 November allowing police to forcibly enter homes to remove undocumented people. The law is set to take effect in spring 2027, The Guardian said.

The federal government presented the initial proposal on 3 June 2026 with the support of Asylum and Migration Minister Anneleen Van Bossuyt. The parliamentary Interior Committee approved it at a second reading on 7 October, before the full parliamentary vote.

How home entry would work

The Belgian Immigration Office can ask an investigating judge to authorize entry into a home that may be housing an undocumented person. With that authorization, police can enter without consent between 05:00 and 21:00 Belgian time (07:00 to 23:00 Yerevan time during Belgian daylight saving time, or 08:00 to 00:00 otherwise). Once inside, they can detain people and search for identity documents.

The homes covered can include those of friends or relatives hosting undocumented people, and children could be present during an entry. Officials say the measures target people denied asylum who have ignored orders to leave and are considered a threat to public order or national security. Supporters say the measure would make such orders easier to enforce in cases involving those threats.

An account of the committee-stage bill said amendments would extend the time judges have to decide an application from 5 to 7 days, require a new element for a later application in the same case and let judges seek more information from the responsible minister or a representative. It also said judges could set specific conditions for a visit when children might be present.

Objections and the planned evaluation

Critics say the law is vague about what constitutes a public threat, pointing to cases where such terms were applied to undeclared work, running a red light or shoplifting. Amnesty International says judges would lack full investigative powers and face limits on whom they could ask for information; it also says the legislation provides no way to appeal or challenge decisions.

Carine Thibaut, director of Amnesty International’s French-speaking Belgian section, warned that the measures could frighten children and people hosting migrants. She said authorities already have tools through the ordinary justice system to address criminal offending. Chiara Catelli, an advocacy officer at the Platform for International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants, said the measure concerns deportation, an administrative procedure, rather than action against people who have committed crimes. More than 60 protests took place across Belgium before the vote.

The committee-stage account described an evaluation planned 18 months after the law takes effect, with particular attention to its effects on minors.