Speaking to reporters after the 17 April 2026 Justice and Home Affairs Council in Luxembourg, Belgian Migration Minister Anneleen Van Bossuyt reiterated that Belgium will not accept a blanket obligation to enforce deportation orders issued by other EU member states. The contested clause—part of the final package of regulations underpinning the new Pact on Migration and Asylum—would oblige all Schengen countries to carry out an expulsion once any one state has issued a return decision. Van Bossuyt called the idea “a perverse incentive” that could overload Belgium’s already stretched removal capacity. Belgium processes around 25,000 return cases a year but successfully removes only a fifth, largely because destination countries refuse re-admission or migrants abscond during the appeal period. Under mutual recognition, officials fear Belgium would inherit thousands of ‘secondary-movement’ cases originating in southern Europe. The Immigration Office estimates additional costs of €70 million a year for detention, escorts and charter flights—money the minority coalition says it does not have.
![Brussels warns EU partners over automatic enforcement of other states’ return decisions]()
For companies and travelers who need clarity on Belgian entry rules—or on any future changes that might arise from the pact—VisaHQ provides a streamlined, always-updated resource. Its Belgium portal (https://www.visahq.com/belgium/) lets users check visa requirements, complete online applications and access expert customer support, helping mobility teams and individuals stay compliant even as policies shift.
Instead, Brussels proposes a hybrid model: each state would be allowed to opt out of physically enforcing another country’s order if it pays €20,000 per non-returned migrant into a common EU solidarity fund. Several northern and eastern member states, led by the Netherlands and Czechia, support the compromise, while Germany and Spain argue it could weaken the pact’s credibility. For global-mobility teams the dispute matters because it will determine whether Belgium becomes a tougher environment for workers whose residence status lapses after a project ends. If automatic enforcement survives, overstaying professionals could face faster detention and removal—even if the original permit was issued elsewhere in the EU. Employers sponsoring assignments through EU intra-company-transfer permits or Posted Worker regimes should therefore double-check end-of-project exit strategies. Diplomats expect a political agreement by June, when the pact enters its operational phase. Until then, corporate mobility managers should monitor Belgian parliamentary debates for clues on whether a national implementation law (and new budget credits) will be tabled.
For companies and travelers who need clarity on Belgian entry rules—or on any future changes that might arise from the pact—VisaHQ provides a streamlined, always-updated resource. Its Belgium portal (https://www.visahq.com/belgium/) lets users check visa requirements, complete online applications and access expert customer support, helping mobility teams and individuals stay compliant even as policies shift.
Instead, Brussels proposes a hybrid model: each state would be allowed to opt out of physically enforcing another country’s order if it pays €20,000 per non-returned migrant into a common EU solidarity fund. Several northern and eastern member states, led by the Netherlands and Czechia, support the compromise, while Germany and Spain argue it could weaken the pact’s credibility. For global-mobility teams the dispute matters because it will determine whether Belgium becomes a tougher environment for workers whose residence status lapses after a project ends. If automatic enforcement survives, overstaying professionals could face faster detention and removal—even if the original permit was issued elsewhere in the EU. Employers sponsoring assignments through EU intra-company-transfer permits or Posted Worker regimes should therefore double-check end-of-project exit strategies. Diplomats expect a political agreement by June, when the pact enters its operational phase. Until then, corporate mobility managers should monitor Belgian parliamentary debates for clues on whether a national implementation law (and new budget credits) will be tabled.
