"Niemand ist illegal." No one is illegal, German.
"La honte nationale." National disgrace, French.
These were the phrases inscribed across signs at more than 60 protests held across Belgium recently, where the official languages are German, French, and Dutch.
That diversity of language alone should tell you something -- that Belgium is a multicultural country shaped by many different languages, histories, and communities.
That is why it is so deeply shocking that the
Belgian Federal Parliament just passed a law that will "allow police to forcibly enter properties" without consent to search for, detain, and
abduct undocumented people.Experts and opponents are calling them "ICE-style raids."We cannot stand by and allow such an
inhumane, alienating, and downright unjust system to take hold in Belgium, or any other European Union member state.
The Council of the European Union has the power to pass laws that supersede this outrageous one – and they must do so immediately.
Sign the petition and demand the Council of the European Union keep police overreach out of the EU!This law is not set to take effect until March 1, 2027, so we have time before this cruelty commences. But we cannot rest until we wipe it from legislation entirely.
The law would allow a judge to approve forced entry into the homes of friends, family, and community members that may be hosting immigrants that have yet to receive proper documentation.
Police can go in without consent or warning. Anyone could be present -- even young children. They can detain people and search the entire home.
The goal isn't law, order, or safety. The goal is fear, alienation, and fracture.
Immigration is an administrative issue, not a criminal one. Forced entry and detainment is violence, and can have a horrific lasting effect, as we've seen in the United States as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has been given nearly unchecked power.
Families have been torn apart, people have been wrongfully or prolongedly imprisoned, and folks have even died.The law's thin claim is that only people "who are seen as a threat to public order or national security" will be targeted. But the definitions are vague enough that they can easily be exploited or manipulated to target…whoever officials want.
The forced entry would have to be approved by a judge. Opponents of the law note that judges would have a limited amount of information on each case, and that there is absolutely no process to fight or appeal these orders should a judge hand them down.
It's part of a concerning trend in the EU. Similar efforts are underway in the Netherlands and Germany, and the EU recently approved a
returns regulation that makes it easier for states to expel undocumented folks.
Make no mistake:
this chips away at everyone's rights. All of a sudden, private homes are sites of immigration enforcement. This sets a dangerous precedent for when the state wants to go after any other group of people.
No person is illegal, and crossing a border should not lead to the traumatization and brutalization of our communities. We must demand that the Council of the EU pass regulations and laws that make it safer for people to live within its borders, not more dangerous and ripe for police abuse.
Sign the petition demanding the Council of the European Union adopt humane, just immigration policies that member states must abide by!