In a late-night session on 11 March, the Belgian Parliament’s Interior Committee approved draft legislation empowering the Immigration Office (IO) to impose permanent entry bans on individuals listed in the national Terrorism, Extremism and Radicalisation (T.E.R.) database. The move would replace the current regime of fixed-term exclusions, of which 6,000 were issued in 2025, only 42 exceeding 20 years. Under the bill, anyone deemed a terrorist threat, violent extremist or “hate preacher” could be barred from Belgian and wider Schengen territory for life, with the IO gaining authority to cancel any visa or residence permit subsequently requested. Asylum and Migration Minister Anneleen Van Bossuyt argues that the change closes legal loopholes that have allowed repeat offenders to re-enter after serving shorter bans. Opposition MPs question the measure’s necessity, noting that long bans already exist and warning of potential conflicts with EU proportionality principles. Human-rights groups are particularly alarmed that children as young as 12 can be flagged in the T.E.R. database without access to the classified evidence against them. A pending European Court of Justice case on transparency could still force amendments before the law is enacted. For corporate mobility managers the proposal is more than a security headline: if passed, it will require enhanced screening of transferees and business visitors against Belgian watch-lists, as lifetime bans leave no room for rehabilitation clauses. Global-talent teams may need to liaise with immigration counsel to confirm whether past criminal records or social-media activity could trigger database inclusion. The draft now goes to the full Chamber of Representatives, where the governing Vivaldi-plus coalition holds a slim majority. Observers expect heated debate over due-process safeguards; however, the coalition hopes to see the law in force before Belgium hands the rotating EU Council presidency to Bulgaria on 1 July.
Source: The Brussels Times
