Belgium to Reintroduce Border Checks in New Crackdown on Illegal Migration
Belgium has announced plans to reinstate border controls this summer as part of a broader strategy to curb illegal migration, marking a significant shift in the country’s approach to border security within Europe’s Schengen area.
The move follows similar restrictions recently imposed by neighbouring states, signaling growing tensions over free movement in the bloc.
The renewed checks will focus on entry points along Belgium’s borders with the Netherlands, France, Luxembourg, and Germany.
According to a spokesperson for Anneleen Van Bossuyt, junior minister for migration, the government’s decision responds to mounting concerns that Belgium has become a preferred destination for migrants rejected elsewhere in Europe.
“Time for entry controls. Belgium must not be a magnet for those stopped elsewhere,” Van Bossuyt declared in a post on X (formerly Twitter). “Our message is clear: Belgium will no longer tolerate illegal migration and asylum shopping.”
The government said these “targeted” controls will extend beyond border crossings to include motorway rest stops, buses, trains, and intra-Schengen flights from countries facing high migration pressure such as Greece and Italy.
Since taking office in February, Prime Minister Bart De Wever has prioritized migration control as a key element of his right-leaning administration’s agenda. Under Article 23 of the Schengen Borders Code, member states are permitted to temporarily reinstate border checks in the face of serious threats or surges in migration.
Belgium, one of Europe’s wealthiest nations, recorded 39,615 asylum applications in 2024 — an 11.6% increase from the previous year — according to the Federal Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers. With capacity for only 35,600 asylum seekers, the country has struggled to provide adequate shelter for all arrivals.
A spokesperson from the Belgian Immigration Office emphasized that the absence of systematic border checks has hindered efforts to accurately assess the scale of illegal migration, bolstering the government’s justification for tighter monitoring.
Belgium’s announcement reflects a wider European trend of hardening immigration policies, even as irregular arrivals have reportedly declined along key migration routes.
The move underscores ongoing challenges facing the Schengen zone’s foundational principle of free movement amid shifting political and social dynamics.
