Schengen Entry/Exit System: EU spells out who is exempt ahead of Belgium’s busiest travel week
EU Entry/Exit System passes first 100-day milestone as exemptions clarified
Belgium overhauls 45-year-old rules for cross-border workers
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Biometric border checks generating queues at Brussels Airport as summer exodus peaks
A pan-European report warns that the new biometric Entry/Exit checks are already lengthening queues at Brussels Airport during the height of the summer travel season. Airlines and corporate travel managers are urging passengers to allow extra time until more kiosks and staff are in place.
Strike at Antwerp-Bruges halts pilotage, diverts cargo from Europe’s second-largest port
Dispatchers and pilot pilots have downed tools at the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, freezing vessel movements and redirecting cargo to neighbouring countries. The disruption highlights Belgium’s wider industrial tensions and poses immediate challenges for supply-chain managers and business travellers with time-critical port visits.
Belgium launches Blue Heart campaign against forced cyber-fraud trafficking
The Belgian Justice Ministry launched the 2026 UN ‘Blue Heart’ anti-trafficking campaign on 27 July, spotlighting victims forced to commit online fraud. Authorities warn that criminals often exploit cross-border job offers that resemble legitimate postings, urging companies and expatriates in Belgium to remain vigilant and report signs of exploitation.
Brussels firefighters suspend strike, easing concerns for events and corporate travel
Firefighters in Brussels have paused their week-long strike after the regional government pledged fresh funding and new hires. The move removes an immediate safety headache for event organisers and business travellers, although unions may resume action if promises are not met.
Belgium keeps threat level unchanged after Berlin Pride attack, issues vigilance reminder
Belgium’s counter-terror agency has decided not to raise the national alert level following the Berlin Pride attack but calls for continued vigilance at airports, rail hubs and mass-gathering venues. Business travellers should expect visible security but no new entry restrictions.
Belgian Constitutional Court Halts Tougher Family-Reunification Rules for Subsidiary-Protection Beneficiaries
Belgium’s Constitutional Court has suspended the two-year waiting period, financial-means test and €200 fee that the 2025 law imposed on family-reunification applicants linked to subsidiary-protection holders. Consulates must apply the previous, more flexible rules with immediate effect, affecting roughly 1,600 pending cases. The decision eases corporate-relocation planning but signals further legislative debate as the government seeks alternative restrictions that can withstand judicial scrutiny.