The outgoing Federal Justice Minister Paul Van Tigchelt (Flemish liberal) has announced that from today employers at the country ports will be have to request that new employees provide them with a document stating whether or not they have a criminal record before they can be taken on. From January, thousands of staff who are already working in key functions at the ports will also have to be screened by the federal police and the intelligence services. The measures are designed to help combat organised crime particularly drug dealing.
The outgoing Federal Justice Minister Paul Van Tigchelt (Flemish liberal) told journalists that the new measures will block access to our ports for those that are involved in organised crime. The document required will include any convictions or other sanctions that have been imposed for drug offences and/or involvement in criminal organisations. Employers will be able to demand to see the document when they are considering hiring a new employee.
From 1 January 2025 those already working in key positions such as administrative staff, dockers, shipping agents, shippers and security guards will be screened to ensure that they have no direct or indirect links with criminal organisations.
“Our ports are the backbone of our economy, but they are also vulnerable to organised crime. Security checks give us the tools we need to prevent criminals from gaining access to this vital infrastructure”, the Federal Justice Minis