Seventy human-rights and medical organisations—including Médecins du Monde and Belgium-based PICUM—issued a joint statement on 16 February calling on the European Parliament’s Civil Liberties Committee (LIBE) to vote down the draft EU ‘Return Regulation’. The proposal would streamline and accelerate deportations of undocumented migrants, but critics say it risks racial profiling and undermines due-process safeguards.
Belgian NGOs argue the regulation could pressure national police to conduct workplace identity raids, disrupting sectors that rely on posted or seasonal workers. They warn that employees without correct papers might avoid hospitals or vaccination drives, posing public-health risks. Employers could also face heavier reporting duties if inspectors suspect irregular staff on premises.
From a compliance standpoint, global-mobility managers would need to strengthen document-verification protocols, particularly where third-country nationals are subcontracted through staffing agencies. Legal counsel recommends auditing employment files now, because the draft empowers authorities to fine firms that ‘should have known’ about irregular status.
![Civil-Society Coalition Urges MEPs to Reject ‘Return Regulation’ on Migrant Expulsions]()
For organisations and travellers trying to keep pace with shifting EU and Belgian migration rules, VisaHQ’s Belgium portal (https://www.visahq.com/belgium/) offers clear, up-to-date guidance on visas, work permits, and residence documents—helping HR teams, mobility managers, and individuals stay compliant and avoid costly errors.
LIBE is scheduled to vote in early March. Belgian MEP Saskia Bricmont (Ecolo) told reporters she will oppose the text unless humanitarian amendments are adopted. If the committee endorses the regulation, trilogue negotiations with the Council could conclude before summer, giving member states one year to transpose the rules.
Companies hosting intra-EU transferees should monitor the outcome, as stricter return procedures may indirectly affect family-reunification timelines and residence-card renewals if embassies become busier issuing laissez-passer documents for removals.
Belgian NGOs argue the regulation could pressure national police to conduct workplace identity raids, disrupting sectors that rely on posted or seasonal workers. They warn that employees without correct papers might avoid hospitals or vaccination drives, posing public-health risks. Employers could also face heavier reporting duties if inspectors suspect irregular staff on premises.
From a compliance standpoint, global-mobility managers would need to strengthen document-verification protocols, particularly where third-country nationals are subcontracted through staffing agencies. Legal counsel recommends auditing employment files now, because the draft empowers authorities to fine firms that ‘should have known’ about irregular status.
For organisations and travellers trying to keep pace with shifting EU and Belgian migration rules, VisaHQ’s Belgium portal (https://www.visahq.com/belgium/) offers clear, up-to-date guidance on visas, work permits, and residence documents—helping HR teams, mobility managers, and individuals stay compliant and avoid costly errors.
LIBE is scheduled to vote in early March. Belgian MEP Saskia Bricmont (Ecolo) told reporters she will oppose the text unless humanitarian amendments are adopted. If the committee endorses the regulation, trilogue negotiations with the Council could conclude before summer, giving member states one year to transpose the rules.
Companies hosting intra-EU transferees should monitor the outcome, as stricter return procedures may indirectly affect family-reunification timelines and residence-card renewals if embassies become busier issuing laissez-passer documents for removals.
