Belgium’s parliament early on Friday approved a controversial law allowing police to enter the homes of suspected undocumented migrants who have ignored orders to leave the country.
The measure is part of a broader push by Prime Minister Bart De Wever’s right-leaning coalition to limit migration and increase expulsions of those who have been denied the right to stay in the country.
The legislation has drawn strong opposition from human rights groups and lawyers, who argue that allowing police to enter private homes for immigration enforcement risks undermining constitutional rights and privacy laws.
Around 3,000 people formed a human chain around Brussels’ Palace of Justice on Wednesday evening to protest the bill. More than 50 other demonstrations and gatherings were organised in towns and cities across the country, Belgian media reported.
The law was finally approved by a majority of lawmakers around 5 a.m. local time (0400 GMT), following a lengthy debate that lasted throughout the night.
Searches will be limited to the homes of people who have been denied asylum in Belgium, have ignored orders to leave and are seen to be a threat to public security.
Home searches must be agreed to by an investigative judge and can only occur between 5 a.m. and 9 a.m., with immigration officials present.
Ahead of the vote, Amnesty International urged lawmakers to reject the legislation, which it said could also affect people who help undocumented migrants.
The government has defended the measure as a tool to enforce deportation orders for people who are considered a danger to public order or national security.
