Belgium is set to introduce border checks this summer in a bid to curb illegal migration, marking a further restriction on free movement within Europe's Schengen zone.
The new measures, confirmed on Friday by a spokesperson for junior migration minister Anneleen Van Bossuyt, will affect those entering the country, which shares borders with the Netherlands, France, Luxembourg, and Germany. The move signals another challenge to the principle of open borders across the continent.
Prime Minister Bart De Wever, in office since February, has said curbing migration is a key priority for his right-leaning government.
"Time for entry controls. Belgium must not be a magnet for those stopped elsewhere. Our message is clear: Belgium will no longer tolerate illegal migration and asylum shopping," Van Bossuyt wrote on X.
The announcement follows similar moves by the Netherlands and Germany, part of a broader crackdown on migration across the continent, even as numbers of arrivals on many major routes have shown signs of falling.
"The checks will be carried out in a targeted manner on major access roads such as motorway car parks, on bus traffic ... on certain trains ... and on intra-Schengen flights from countries with high migration pressure, such as Greece and Italy," a Belgian government statement said late on Thursday.
Belgium is part of the open-border Schengen area which guarantees free travel between its 29 member states. Under article 23 of the Schengen Borders Code, members can temporarily reinstate border checks in response to security or migration pressures.
A spokesperson for the Belgian Immigration Office said it was difficult to give figures for illegal immigration at the moment without the systematic border checks.
Belgium, one of the world's richest countries, received 39,615 asylum applications in 2024, 11.6% more than in 2023, numbers from the Federal Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers show.
The country had the capacity to take in 35,600 applicants in 2024, according to the figures, leaving many arrivals without proper accommodation.
European Union ministers agreed to let Bulgaria and Romania join Europe’s ID-check free travel zone, known as the Schengen area, by lifting land border controls from this year.
