Brussels Airport police call off plans to strike over passport control changes

A planned strike by police officers at Brussels Airport over leaked changes to passport controls has been lifted.

Belgium's federal police confirmed the existence of a leaked memo to aviation police instructing them to relax passport controls in order to deal with massive crowds and long wait times in immigration.

Federal police admitted the memo “does not appear to be in accordance with the applicable guidelines”.

Reports from Het Nieuwsblad indicated the director of the aviation police at Brussels Airport issued an order to relax border controls in an "internal communication" to staff.

The order leans on Article 9 of the Schengen Agreement, asking for it to be applied "preventatively if necessary". But while far-right political party Vlaams Belang said in a reaction that this article does allow border controls to be temporarily relaxed in exceptional and unforeseen circumstances, it was "being misused here as a structural policy instrument".

Federal police initially denied that border controls were being relaxed, but on Sunday confirmed the existence of the internal memo and said they would launch an investigation.

Interior minister Bernard Quintin (MR) also responded and instructed police to carry out border controls at Zaventem airport correctly.

Federal police said that official border control measures remain in force to ensure smooth traffic flow and safety.

Police unions ACV and NSPV announced on Saturday evening that it would submit a strike notice for Brussels Airport, although this plan has now been scrapped.

CSC Police union’s Joery Dehaes called the memo "unacceptable", as relaxing controls "poses a huge risk to passenger safety".

"[Relaxing controls] would be really very dangerous for colleagues who have to do their job every day," he said. "If something goes wrong, it is their responsibility. I find that distressing and even a little shameful."