The Etterbeek municipal council has passed a motion raising serious concerns about the federal proposal for home visits, currently under review by the Chamber’s Interior Committee.
The motion, initiated by the Mayor’s List (MR, Open VLD, CD&V, and independents) and Les Engagés, does not oppose the concept of home visits but criticises significant legal and procedural shortcomings in the bill under discussion.
A second motion, put forward by Ecolo, PS, and PTB, which rejected the very principle of home visits, was not adopted.
This stance carries particular significance because MR, CD&V, and Les Engagés are part of the federal majority backing the bill.
The federal bill allows the Immigration Office, supported by police and under the authorisation of a judge, to enter the residence of a person staying irregularly after all legal remedies are exhausted and the individual refuses to leave the premises.
The municipal council’s text outlines twelve problematic aspects, including insufficient safeguards ensuring the measure is a last resort, vague definitions of threats to public order or national security and a limits placed on investigative judges.
It also complains of a lack of recourse for affected residents, and inadequate protections for hosts, children, and personal data.
The position was also influenced by months of civic mobilisation driven by the GETMO collective and the Stop Home Visits platform, involving petitions, citizen interpellations, and several public gatherings.
