In the early morning of the 6th of November, the Belgian parliament approved the controversial law that will allow the police to search the residences of possible illegal immigrants, writes Reuters.The new measures are part of a plan by Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever’s right-wing coalition to curb migration and expand deportations of those barred from staying in the country. The law has drawn sharp criticism from human rights groups and lawyers, who have said that allowing police to enter private homes for immigration purposes threatens constitutional rights and privacy laws.To protest the law, on the evening of the 4th of November, around 3,000 people formed a human chain around the Ministry of Justice in Brussels, and around 50 more protests took place in other cities of the country.After an all-night discussion, the law was approved on the 6th of November around five in the morning local time.Searches will take place at the residences of those denied asylum in Belgium who have not complied with the order to leave the country and who are considered a threat to public safety. Searches of residences will have to be approved by a judge and can only take place between five and nine in the morning. Also, an official of the immigration service will have to be present.Before the vote on the law, the organization Amnesty International called on politicians to reject its adoption, pointing out how it would also affect those who help migrants. The government has defended the decision, saying that the new law is a tool that will help carry out the deportation of those who are considered a threat to public order or national security.
Belgium decides to allow searches of the residences of potential illegal immigrants
