The Belgian government adopted a law according to which all passenger’s names and other data will be recorded before they board a plane or international train, like reported by neweurope.eu.
Belgians, EU nationals and members of their families will thus be subject to stricter border checks at airports, seaports and international railway stations. These changes could lead to longer waiting times, the Federal Police warned.
The royal decree was drawn up with the help of the airline sector (BAC, Brussels Airpory Company).
They will be compared to black lists of terrorist’s names, the Home Affairs Minister Jan Jambon said. The new bill will also mean the data on the ticket can be compared to the data on the passenger’s identification.
The next step will be to draw up a royal decree for international railways lines (TGV and Eurostar) going between four adjacent countries: France, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and Belgium. There will also be a meeting with the sector about it.
Until recently, at border controls, police checked the validity and authenticity of the passport identity documents and ensured that the photographs on them matched the faces of the persons that owned them. This method of checking will continue for travel within the Schengen area.
On the other hand, the new Article 8.2 of the Schengen Borders Code provides for a strengthening of security measures when entering or leaving the same area. Police will now have to systematically consult police databases. Controls will include people traveling to the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Africa, Asia and other tourist destinations outside the Schengen area.
