Hi everyone, bonjour en goeiemiddag!
Today, I have a very interesting story for you about the highly controversial ‘home entries’ immigration bill that was expected to be approved in parliament yesterday.
If passed, the bill would allow police to enter private homes for the purpose of arresting foreign nationals without legal residency in Belgium who have been ordered to leave the country. While police would require permission from an investigating judge, they would not need explicit consent from the occupants.
On Wednesday, several amendments to the text were supposed to be voted on, so our reporter Chase Pray spent most of yesterday following the debate in parliament.
However, just as the vote was set to start, the proceedings were disrupted by a technical failure, following a power outage. As a result, the vote has been postponed.
Was this cosmic interference? Is the universe trying to tell the Belgian government something? That’s not for me to say, but the timing is definitely, let’s say, interesting. You can read Chase’s overview of what critics are calling the “Belgian ICE” bill here.
As we have now properly left September behind and are stepping into October, it is time for our monthly round-up of changes to rules and measures that are coming into force in Belgium this month.
From bringing your ID to the dentist, to getting renovation support and revoking offensive licence plates, the latest changes and how they will impact people can be found here.
Importantly, the first of October is not just the start of a new month, but it is also International Coffee Day.
To mark this very important day in offices all around the world, our regular contributor Kristina Chetcuti, who is a registered health coach specialising in behaviour change and lifestyle medicine, gave us some very important advice on how much coffee is enough coffee.
A clear explanation of the caffeine gene, advice on when – and when not – to drink a cup, and even a list of which countries drink the most coffee (it is not the one you think!), Kristina has it all.
And if you have any comments, tips or suggestions to improve our coverage, drop me an email at m.chini@brusselstimes.com.
See you later!
Belgium in Brief is a free daily roundup of the top stories to get you through your coffee break conversations. To receive it straight to your inbox every day, sign up below:
1. Home entries without consent: What is happening with Belgium’s latest immigration bill?
"Repressive measures against foreigners are used to make people forget that the root causes of our fellow citizens' problems are social, and not related to identity.” Read more.
2. Offensive licence plates, cheat discounts, dentist IDs: What changes in Belgium on 1 October?
From bringing your ID to the dentist to getting renovation support and revoking offensive licence plates, here are the latest changes in Belgium. Read more.
3. Dear Kristina: How much coffee is too much coffee?
We sometimes talk about coffee as though it were an ancient European tradition, but it is actually quite new to our bodies. Read more.
4. What perks do countries in the EU queue get?
Countries waiting to join the EU might soon get early access to the lucrative single market. But what benefits and perks do EU candidates already enjoy? Read more.
5. Unia to take ‘race realist’ researcher Nathan Cofnas to court
Unia said the US philosopher was spreading ideas in Belgium that rank people in a hierarchy on the basis of supposed scientific knowledge. Read more.
6. Trial against once-rising star of Belgian politics Sihame El Kaouakibi begins
Once hailed as a standout young entrepreneur, the former politician now faces trial over alleged forgery and subsidy fraud linked to millions in public grants. Read more.
7. Number of Belgian workers over 65 rises sharply in last two years
More than 83,500 Belgians aged 65 and over were in work in the second quarter, up 52.2% in two years as higher pension age begins to show in employment data. Read more.
