If you’re traveling to Belgium, you may understandably be concerned after the recent terror attacks. Here’s what you should know if you’re traveling to Brussels:
At approximately 7am on the 23rd of March, during rush hour in Brussels, two bombs went off in Zaventem International Airport. Slightly more than an hour later, a third explosion went off in Maalbeek metro station, close to the EU headquarters. Belgium immediately moved its level of terror alert to the highest level.
The current death toll stands at 20 in the Malbeek metro station with 130 wounded, plus 10 killed at the airport, with 100 more wounded. Isis has claimed these cowardly terrorist attacks, and it’s believed that the group are from the same network responsible for the Paris terror attack in November last year.
Both the Eiffel Tower and the One World Trade Centre are lit up in the Belgian flag colours of yellow, red and black.
Belgium has been fearing an attack for some time, as home to the European Union and the headquarters of NATO. A counterterrorism official from the US said that the Belgians “have been sitting on a ticking time bomb”, given the amount of people who left the country for Iraq and Syria, joined ISIS and then possibly went back home.
So what does this mean if you’re planning a trip to Belgium or Europe this year?
Richard Medic, a Brussels resident who arrived at the Maalbeek metro station shortly after the attack, said that he wasn’t surprised by the attack, and that it was a matter of time. However Jef Versele, who was in the departure hall of the airport when the bombs exploded says that Belgians shouldn’t be holing themselves up, and should instead continue to travel and live their lives “to prove we’re not afraid of those who have done the attacks”.
And ultimately, it’s this attitude that will ensure that the terrorists won’t win. ISIS want to strike fear in the hearts of the west, and by playing into their hands and altering our travel plans, we ensure that they win.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg called the attack “cowardly” in his statement, saying “Terrorism will not defeat democracy and take away our freedoms”.
So can you still travel to Brussels?
While the Canadian government has warned travellers to “exercise a high degree of caution” it hasn’t yet issued a nationwide advisory against travel to Belgium. Air Canada is currently allowing all passengers who purchased a ticket either to Brussels or through Brussels airport between the 22nd and 28th of March to change their flights for free.
For many travellers, the threat to security in Europe will cause them to cancel their trips, while many others will choose to go anyway, since the chance of being a victim of a terror attack is still very low.
There are currently at least 517 Canadians in the country, and if you’re planning to travel to Belgium you should exercise a high degree of caution and register with the Government of Canada here: http://travel.gc.ca/travelling/registration
