Homeless man, hands on head, in Brussels, April 2, 2016 as Belgian police and soldiers arrest protesters far-left and far-right breaking ban on demonstrations. Geert Vanden Wijngaert/Press Association. All rights reserved.On Friday April 1, 2016, the Belgium federal government approved the ‘nieuwkomersverklaring’ (newcomers statement), a legal document that all new non-European arrivals to Belgium will have to sign if they wish to remain here for longer than 3 months.
Sadly, this is no April Fool’s Day joke, but the shame of Belgium. Those who refuse to sign this offensive legal document filled with implicit racism and sexism are not welcome to stay. Details of those who refuse and their eventual deportations are not discussed and yet the legalisation of this possibility should be the cause for great sorrow, not only in Belgium but throughout Europe.
What is disturbing is the lack of protest – partially due to the convenient timing of this legislation in the aftermath of the Brussels attacks and the heightened security measures (which permitted neo-Nazis to gather publically at a memorial gathering in late March and refused a similar gathering of those in solidarity with foreigners and refugees).
