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Brussels Daily Press Review — 2026-11-05

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Brussels Daily Press Review — 2026-11-05

2°C in Brussels: even my fountain is asking for a winter coat.

TL;DR

  • MPs are due to vote on November 5 on allowing home arrests for certain deportations, after thousands formed a human chain around Brussels’ Palais de Justice.
  • Trains between Jette and Denderleeuw were halted Wednesday evening, with replacement buses deployed and around 70 passengers evacuated safely; the closure was expected through the day’s end.
  • Brussels residents can check flood exposure for their homes on a new interactive map, as nearly one in three could face basement sewage backflow during heavy rain.
  • The first tenants are due in early 2027 at 66 new Anneessens social homes, replacing a 62-home tower where 24 studios lacked individual bathrooms.
  • KevlinX’s Neder-over-Heembeek facility is projected to use 140 GWh annually in its first phase; Elia says this does not necessarily affect household electricity supply.
  • Classes at Lycée Intégral Roger Lallemand were suspended Wednesday because students barricaded the entrance; the Saint-Gilles blockade is expected to continue throughout the week.

🌤️ Weather

☀️ Clear in Brussels today — between 2°C and 11°C (now 2°C).

Chamber set to vote on home-entry bill despite mass Brussels protest

The Arizona majority rejected an opposition request to postpone Thursday’s legislative votes following Prime Minister Bart De Wever’s resignation submission to the King on Monday. Asylum Minister Anneleen Van Bossuyt’s bill would allow the Immigration Office to request arrests inside private homes of foreign nationals ordered to leave who pose a danger to public order and national security, for deportation. Opponents argue that it threatens privacy and the inviolability of the home; Wednesday’s Brussels demonstration accompanied more than 50 gatherings announced nationwide.

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Works-train accident shuts Jette–Denderleeuw railway in both directions

Infrabel’s preliminary findings indicate that a component detached from a works train, striking passenger trains before three works-train wagons derailed near Ternat station. Passenger-train windows were broken, and emergency services assisted two people in shock, although SNCB confirmed there were no injuries. Investigators must complete their examinations before the derailed wagons can be removed and the infrastructure inspected.

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Brussels Environment launches home-level flood-risk map

Low-lying valleys and places where large volumes of surface runoff converge are particularly vulnerable. Flooding associated with a one-in-100-year rainfall event could affect one in 12 Brussels residents, rising to one in five for a one-in-1,000-year event. The map identifies likely causes and severity by area and directs residents towards preventive measures, including inexpensive ways to limit basement water damage without structural work.

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Beliris completes 66 social homes in Anneessens

Three buildings now occupy the site on Rue des Potiers, Rue de la Verdure and Rue de Soignies. The regional housing company SLRB and Logement Bruxellois will finish fitting out the premises and prepare rentals. The development includes studios and family homes, most with private outdoor space, while lower building heights allow more daylight into neighbouring streets. All homes achieve a PEB A rating, with hybrid heat-pump and boiler heating, solar panels and green roofs.

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KevlinX data centre projects electricity use equal to 3% of Brussels’ total

Elia granted 20 MW of connection capacity for the first phase, with another 20 MW planned for a similarly sized expansion from 2028. Initial water consumption is projected at up to 140,000 cubic metres annually, equivalent to more than 50 Olympic-sized swimming pools. Brussels MP Lotte Stoops questioned the implications for grid capacity available to other services. Elia says there is no direct link to electricity prices, with any bill impact requiring consideration of wider grid investment.

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Student blockade suspends classes at Saint-Gilles’ Roger Lallemand lycée

Construction barriers blocked access to the school, while students also obstructed surrounding streets. The mobilisation began earlier in the week over education reforms, higher tuition fees and police violence during recent demonstrations. Students aim to maintain pressure on the government over funding and the reforms’ effects on teachers and pupils.

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ULB rector gives P1 building occupants until Thursday evening to leave

The building has been occupied since October 22, and rector Annemie Schaus required a decision on departure by Wednesday evening. An emergency academic council meeting on Tuesday revealed divisions between continuing mediation and police intervention. Mediators found that staff offices had not been opened or vandalised, and occupants began repainting walls bearing inscriptions. The collective’s demands include opposition to higher tuition fees, university partnerships with Israel, insecurity and police repression.

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Molenbeek to trial timed car ban outside De Klimpaal school

The restriction covers the section between Rue de la Savonnerie and Rue de l’Éléphant on school days, from 8:15–8:45 and, depending on the day, 12:15–12:45 or 15:20–15:50. Pedestrians, cyclists and emergency services retain access. The commune will evaluate the trial with the school and neighbours before deciding whether to retain it, aiming to reduce dangerous traffic situations, noise and stress around the primary school.

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