A stormy session in the Home Affairs Committee on 22 April saw Asylum and Migration Minister Anneleen Van Bossuyt defend a fast-tracked bill that would overhaul procedures at the Council for Alien Law Litigation (CALL), Belgium’s specialist appeals court for immigration and asylum cases. At the heart of the controversy is a clause granting CALL judges access to classified intelligence that underpins some negative asylum and visa decisions—material currently off-limits to the judiciary. While the government argues the measure is vital to combat terrorism-linked abuse of migration channels, the Bar Associations of both language communities warn it risks creating “secret trials.” Under the proposal only defence lawyers with a high-level security clearance could view the files and would be barred from sharing details with their clients. Obtaining that clearance can take up to a year and costs several thousand euros, a burden smaller law practices say they cannot bear. Civil-society groups claim the system breaches equality of arms and may violate Articles 6 and 13 of the European Convention on Human Rights. The bill also introduces stricter deadlines for filing appeals and streamlines the court’s internal chambers, changes welcomed by many employers who complain that drawn-out litigation creates uncertainty for international hires awaiting residence cards. However, opposition MPs accuse the majority of bulldozing the text through without addressing legal safeguards. An article-by-article debate will continue next week. If the law passes unchanged, companies should expect marginally faster rulings on contested work permits, but also higher legal fees as firms will need to engage security-cleared counsel for sensitive cases.
Source: The Brussels Times
