New border controls in force for just five hours a day

Frontier controls introduced at the Belgian border at the end of September are revealed to be rather thin in today's papers. The idea, announced 10 days ago by interior minister Jan Jambon, was to stem the flow of migrants arriving in the country and frustrate people smugglers. De Standaard recalls that he promised to place 100 police officers at key border crossing points.

In actual fact only eight police officers are watching over the 200km border between Belgium, Dutch Limburg and Germany, alternating their watch between four major road crossings. They do this between 8.45 and 11.15 in the morning, take an hour or so off for lunch, then come back from 13.00 to 15.30 in the afternoons. At weekends they stay at home altogether.

Olivier Van Raemdonck, a spokesperson for Jambon, told De Standaard that it was early days. "Next week we will evaluate the checks and make adjustments where necessary. Obviously it is intended that the controls be strengthened."

He also pointed out that there were additional checks in railways stations, the airport and major highway car parks across the country.