Several Belgian cities have woken up to several posters scattered around walls denouncing a proposed bill that would allow police to enter private homes to detain undocumented migrants facing deportation
A large-scale poster campaign with more than 1,500 posters put up in over 15 cities, including Brussels, Liège, Namur, Charleroi, Mons, Leuven, Ghent and Bruges, according to activists.
Around 300 people took part in the action, while a further 15,000 leaflets were distributed on public transport networks across the country.
A parliamentary committee meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, during which the proposed legislation is due to be examined.
Organised under the banner "Stop Home Raids", the action targets a bill that would permit police to enter private residences in order to arrest people without legal residence status and facilitate their removal from Belgium.
Campaigners argue the legislation would grant police sweeping powers to enter homes occupied by undocumented migrants or by people providing them with accommodation.
"The authorities could carry out raids targeting undocumented migrants inside private homes, entering by force and even conducting searches without a search warrant," activists said.
The proposal has drawn criticism from a range of civil society organisations, human rights groups and legal professionals, who have raised concerns about its impact on fundamental rights and privacy.
Activists also linked bill to broader European migration policies, criticising what they described as increasingly restrictive approaches to asylum, deportation and border management.
They argued that migrants should not become scapegoats for wider social and economic challenges and called instead for policies based on dignity, equality and solidarity.
The campaign is encouraging members of the public to support parliamentary petitions opposing the bill. If enough signatures are collected, the relevant parliaments will be required to hear evidence from the organisations behind the initiative.
