This is so stupid I can hardly believe it, yet it proves again that truth is always stranger than fiction.
Asking grown men, fully capable of making mature decisions and taking responsibility for the consequences, are being asked to sign a pledge promising they will obey the laws of the country, when most of the recent arrivals to Belgium are unquestionably there on account of illegal immigraton, is possibly one of the stupidest things that I have ever heard.
People who support this are saying that this pledge will allow the government to better track the “integration” process. And just what happens when (not if) one of these people cries racism? What happens if they refuse to listen? The Belgian government has already proven feckless against the Muslims, as they are scared to stand up to them because there are so many of them and they act so violently.
Oh, and by the way, the Muslim “refugees” are exempt from this pledge. Appparently, they do not need to integrate into society.
If Belgium wanted a real solution, they would return to their Catholic Faith and consider following the example of a man who solved just this same problem a few centuries ago in Spain- St. Juan de Ribera.
Via Politico.EU:
People moving to Belgium from outside the EU would be required to sign a statement vowing to integrate or else see their residency claim rejected, under a proposed law approved by Belgium’s government Wednesday.
The “newcomers statement,” which must still be voted on by parliament, would be translated into a language signees understand and be mandatory for anyone from outside the EU wanting to come to Belgium for more than three months. Asylum-seekers and students are exempt.
…
“It’s not just a simple piece of paper,” he said. “It will allow signees to be evaluated for years … and that will influence the extension of their residency permit. We have here a magnificent tool for stimulating integration and sanctioning a lack of it, if appropriate. This is not a moralizing law, nor stigmatizing, but it is clear and fair.”
“Newcomers, such as you, often come from countries with a different cultural context,” the text, tweeted by Francken, reads. “They wish to build their lives in our country. However, residents of our country adhere to certain rights, responsibilities, freedoms and values. In order to live together in peace and security, it’s important that you show you recognize these [freedoms] … and that you are willing to respect them.”
Signees must “understand and accept” that Belgian citizens should provide for themselves and that “following the integration pathway foreseen by the federal authorities offers good chances to achieve this.”