EU Entry/Exit System causes five-hour queues at Brussels Airport; Commission pledges fixes
Belgium raises long-stay (Visa D) handling fee to €250 worldwide
Brussels Airport secures labour peace ahead of the peak summer season
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Belgian cabinet approves mandatory training regime for deportation escorts
Belgium’s Council of Ministers has endorsed a royal decree mandating a rigorous training and certification programme for officials who accompany forced-return flights. The move responds to human-rights concerns and imposes new obligations on airlines and the Immigration Office, taking effect on 1 September 2026.
Schengen Working Party meets in Brussels to review internal-border checks and EES rollout
Meeting in Brussels on 3 July, the Council’s Schengen Working Party scrutinised Belgium’s ongoing internal-border checks and the troubled rollout of the EU Entry/Exit System. While Belgium defended the necessity of continued controls, other member states pushed for a timeline to restore full freedom of movement.
Ryanair urges EU to suspend fingerprint checks, warns of ‘queue chaos’ at Belgian and other airports
Ryanair told The Guardian it wants the EU’s new biometric Entry/Exit System paused through the summer, warning of ‘queue chaos’. While Belgium’s airports are not yet the worst affected, they are on a watch-list due to rising holiday traffic. Business groups fear lost productivity if executives miss onward connections, and the European Commission will meet industry leaders next week.
Commission floats extra two-year extension of Ukraine Temporary Protection; Belgium prepares for longer stay
The European Commission has proposed stretching the Temporary Protection Directive for Ukrainians from March 2027 to March 2028, giving beneficiaries in Belgium another two years of legal stay and work rights. Belgian reception agencies welcome the clarity but warn that housing and integration budgets will have to rise, while employers gain certainty on workforce planning.
Aviation bodies ask Brussels to let airports suspend EU Entry/Exit System as five-hour queues hit Brussels Airport
Belgian-based aviation associations have asked the European Commission to allow airports to switch off the new Entry/Exit System during summer peaks, citing queues of up to five hours at Brussels Airport. The plea puts political pressure on Belgium, home of the EU institutions, to decide whether passenger flow or border-security technology takes priority. The outcome will directly affect corporate travellers’ itineraries and could shift traffic away from Brussels if delays persist.
Aviation bodies urge Brussels to let member states pause EES during summer rush
Europe’s airports and airlines have asked the European Commission to let member states temporarily suspend the biometric Entry/Exit System whenever queues exceed capacity. Brussels Airport, anticipating five million passengers this summer, supports the call and has bolstered staffing but still fears 90-minute lines. Mobility managers in Belgium should plan for potential delays until a clearer EU policy emerges.
Belgium tightens residence rules for EU jobseekers, adding six-month performance check
A bill cleared by Belgium’s Council of Ministers will oblige EU citizens who register as jobseekers to prove active job-hunting at the start of their stay and again after six months, or risk losing their right of residence. The measure, aimed at preventing welfare abuse, will tighten corporate relocation timelines and require closer coaching of EU hires during their first half-year in Belgium.
Belgium tightens residence rules for EU job-seekers
Belgium plans to require EU citizens seeking work to supply proof of job applications and labour-agency registration when applying for a residence card, with a second, stricter check after six months. Those who cannot show realistic job prospects risk losing their right of residence. Belgian employers must prepare more robust support for assignees’ accompanying partners and dependants who plan to work.
Touring warns of record road congestion as Belgian school holidays start
Touring expects ‘very heavy’ traffic on Belgian motorways this Friday and Saturday as the summer break begins. Cross-border holiday traffic from the Netherlands and Germany will compound domestic flows, posing risks for time-critical business trips and logistics runs. Companies should avoid scheduling tight road itineraries and advise staff to travel off-peak.
Ryanair warns of ‘queue chaos’ as EU airports struggle with new fingerprint checks
Ryanair says biometric checks under the new EU Entry/Exit System are creating two-hour queues and could cause ‘queue chaos’ at peak season. The airline and wider industry want Brussels to allow member-state opt-outs until September, arguing infrastructure is not ready. Any disruption at external Schengen borders will spill over to Belgian business travel via Brussels Airport’s connecting network, forcing firms to build extra time and contingency into itineraries.
Digital Entry/Exit System bottlenecks raise alarm as Brussels Airport braces for peak season
Euronews reports that long EES queues at Brussels Airport are already topping an hour, prompting authorities to add 60 kiosks and extra police staff. Aviation bodies fear the new biometric checks could paralyse Schengen entry points during July–August, jeopardising tight business-travel itineraries. Travellers are advised to build in at least 90 minutes of buffer time.
Passport e-gate failure triggers morning chaos at Brussels Airport; police restore system by mid-day
A software fault shut down all automated passport e-gates at Brussels Airport on 2 July, forcing manual checks and producing queues of up to two hours before police restored the system late morning. The disruption highlights the pressure on Belgium’s border-control technology ahead of the peak summer season.
Ground-handling walk-out delays flights at Brussels Airport
A spontaneous strike by Aviapartner staff at Brussels Airport on 2 July delayed about 15 flights by up to two hours, affecting carriers such as Ryanair and British Airways. Though short-lived, the incident highlights the risk of summer labour unrest atop existing EES border-control queues and underscores the need for robust traveller-communication protocols.