Under the legislation taking effect next spring, officers can forcibly enter residences to detain undocumented people and search for identity documents even around children. While authorities argue the powers target public security threats and individuals defying departure orders, critics argue the criteria historically capture minor offenses like shoplifting or traffic violations. More than 60 protests have been staged nationwide alongside opposition from judges, lawyers' groups, and Amnesty International.
Key points
Human rights groups and legal associations warn the policy lacks appeal mechanisms and un…: Human rights groups and legal associations warn the policy lacks appeal mechanisms and undermines the constitutional inviolability of homes.
The government's justification regarding national security risks faces scrutiny because p…: The government's justification regarding national security risks faces scrutiny because public threat classifications can include infractions like traffic violations and undeclared work.
Similar residential entry practices exist in the Netherlands and Germany and could spread…: Similar residential entry practices exist in the Netherlands and Germany and could spread under broader European Union returns regulations.
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Belgium could see ICE-style home raids, echoing the US crackdown on immigration, rights campaigners have warned, after MPs approved a law that allows police to forcibly enter properties to remove undocumented people.
For months, intense debate has swirled across Belgium over measures introduced by the ruling right-leaning coalition to ramp up expulsions of people who have been denied the right to stay in the country.
In the run-up to the parliamentary vote last Friday, more than 60 protests were held across the country, adding to criticism voiced by NGOs, judges and lawyers’ associations over the measures. Some have drawn parallels with the US, where arrests by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement have soared under Donald Trump’s administration.
The law, which is set to take effect next spring, gives the Belgian immigration office the power to ask an investigating judge to authorise entry into residences that may be housing anyone without papers, including homes where migrants are being hosted by friends or family.
Once this warrant has been obtained, police will able to enter people’s homes without consent between 5am and…
Legal counsel for independent news outlet Mada Masr is challenging the impartiality of Judge Mohamed Mubarak over previous severe penalties levied against the organization. The case targets reporting on the Gaza conflict and border operations amid growing international scrutiny over Egypt's treatment of critical journalists. A ruling on the judge's disqualification will dictate the trajectory of charges carrying potential imprisonment for publishing false news.
Bilateral talks are underway to establish shared operational guidelines as Berlin develops ground-launched weapons capable of reaching deep into Russian territory. Paris worries that Moscow could misread such strikes as existential threats backed by French nuclear guarantees. Establishing a unified signaling doctrine aims to curb accidental escalation while European nations independently reinforce their collective deterrence posture.
Two days of American-mediated discussions in Abu Dhabi yielded the first direct engagement between both nations in nine months. Brokered in part by Jared Kushner, the diplomatic breakthrough addresses pressing humanitarian concerns even as fierce military exchanges persist. U.S. representatives are now preparing to travel directly to both capitals to continue high-level engagements with top leadership.