Brussels Joins Calls for Flexibility as EU Entry/Exit System Faces Easter Bottlenecks
Easter Engineering Works to Disrupt Four Brussels Metro Lines—Plan Airport Transfers Accordingly
‘Move Quickly’: UK Newspaper Touts Belgium as Top Post-Brexit Destination, Citing Simplified Work Permits
Latest News
Belgium pauses biometric data collection under EU Entry/Exit System after airport chaos
Belgium has suspended the fingerprint and facial-scan element of the EU’s Entry/Exit System after trials at Brussels Airport produced hour-long queues and hundreds of missed flights. Digital registration continues, but officials say full biometric rollout is on hold until processing speeds and staffing improve, giving business travellers temporary relief but prolonging uncertainty ahead of the 10 April 2026 EU deadline.
Brussels Airport urges EU to soften EES rollout as missed-flight tally mounts
Following days of severe congestion, Brussels Airport has asked the Belgian Government to press the EU for more wiggle-room in the new Entry/Exit System schedule. The airport cites 600 missed flights and prolonged queues as evidence that the current rollout is unworkable without extra staffing and revised passenger-flow rules.
Flemish Minister slams ‘unacceptable’ passport-control delays at Brussels hub
Flemish Minister-President Matthias Diependaele has called two-hour passport queues at Brussels Airport “unacceptable” and pressed the federal government for an emergency staffing plan before the Easter travel surge. The political warning underscores fears that persistent border delays could erode Belgium’s competitiveness as a European business hub.
Brussels Airport heads into record Easter season with 1.25 million passengers
Brussels Airport expects an all-time-high 1.25 million passengers over the Flemish Easter break, buoyed by strong leisure demand to Mediterranean and North-African destinations. The forecast surge will stress border-control operations already under scrutiny, so travellers are being urged to build in extra time and pre-book services.
Belgium and Algeria clinch ‘historic’ readmission accord and diplomatic visa waiver
Belgium and Algeria have signed a two-part migration package: a readmission treaty aimed at expediting the return of undocumented Algerian nationals and a visa-exemption deal for diplomatic and service passport holders. The accord promises to improve Belgium’s low deportation success rate and open doors for deeper energy and industrial cooperation.
Brussels Airport files environmental-permit update as long-term noise debate looms
Brussels Airport has lodged a routine update to its environmental permit, a procedural step that triggers local consultations but does not alter current flight operations. The filing foreshadows a deeper permit renegotiation—complete with noise-mitigation debates—that must be finalised by 2029 and could reshape slot availability for airlines and corporate travellers.