Brussels: An extraordinary law passed by Belgian legislators’ grants comprehensive power to the government regarding deportation of expatriates on mere suspicion of their involvement in terror activities without even a proper criminal conviction.
The law was quietly passed by the parliament. It also allows Brussels to even deport the foreigners who are legal residents of Belgium for ‘presenting a risk to public order or national security’ without the involvement of a court.
The toughening of domestic security laws in the European nation has caused anguish in human rights groups and ordinary citizens who see such measures as a threat to civil liberties.
Besides counterterrorism concerns, supporters of this law have been motivated by anti-immigrant sentiments, which they feel are widely shared not only in their country but across the European Union and even in the United States, according to The New York Times.