A Reuters survey of European migration reforms published on 17 November highlights how Belgium has aligned itself with a bloc of nine EU member states – including Italy, Denmark and Austria – calling for a reinterpretation of parts of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) to accelerate the expulsion of foreign criminals.
The coalition, formed in May, argues that current Strasbourg case-law too often blocks deportations on procedural grounds. Belgian Interior Minister Annelies Verlinden reiterated last week that “public security must outweigh the residence rights of serious offenders”. The position enjoys cross-party support in the federal parliament following the October knife attack in Brussels.
![Belgium joins nine-nation push to ease deportations as Europe tightens asylum rules]()
Belgium’s stance fits a wider European shift. The Reuters roundup notes stricter asylum policies from London to Stockholm: Britain is copying Denmark’s temporary-protection model; Germany is streamlining deportations while courting skilled migrants; France, Italy and Greece are hardening border controls.
For corporate mobility teams in Belgium the immediate impact is indirect but real. Tougher regional rules mean secondary movements of rejected asylum seekers could rise, prompting more identity checks on trains and long-distance buses entering Belgium. Employers may also see faster removal proceedings against staff or dependants who lose legal status after criminal convictions.
NGOs warn that diluting ECHR safeguards risks legal fragmentation and retaliation measures from third countries. Business groups, however, welcome clearer expulsion powers, arguing that public confidence in controlled migration is essential for Belgium to keep its attractive work-permit channels – such as the fast-track EU Blue Card ‘single permit’.
The coalition, formed in May, argues that current Strasbourg case-law too often blocks deportations on procedural grounds. Belgian Interior Minister Annelies Verlinden reiterated last week that “public security must outweigh the residence rights of serious offenders”. The position enjoys cross-party support in the federal parliament following the October knife attack in Brussels.
Belgium’s stance fits a wider European shift. The Reuters roundup notes stricter asylum policies from London to Stockholm: Britain is copying Denmark’s temporary-protection model; Germany is streamlining deportations while courting skilled migrants; France, Italy and Greece are hardening border controls.
For corporate mobility teams in Belgium the immediate impact is indirect but real. Tougher regional rules mean secondary movements of rejected asylum seekers could rise, prompting more identity checks on trains and long-distance buses entering Belgium. Employers may also see faster removal proceedings against staff or dependants who lose legal status after criminal convictions.
NGOs warn that diluting ECHR safeguards risks legal fragmentation and retaliation measures from third countries. Business groups, however, welcome clearer expulsion powers, arguing that public confidence in controlled migration is essential for Belgium to keep its attractive work-permit channels – such as the fast-track EU Blue Card ‘single permit’.
