© BELGA
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“The time of warning is over.” The police and the courts will take stricter action against travelers who are not in order with their Passenger Localization Form (PLF). Anyone caught without a PLF form must immediately pay 250 euros. Airlines that do not or insufficiently check, on the other hand, risk a fine that can run into the tens of thousands of euros.
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blgSource: BELGIAN
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Traveling abroad has been possible again since April 19, but upon return the traveler must complete a Passenger Location Form. Airlines must check both upon boarding and upon arrival that their passengers have a correctly completed PLF. Anyone who does not have the form will not be allowed to embark.
“Checks have shown that the vast majority of the thousands of travelers who use Zaventem airport every day are perfectly fine and are doing everything they can to travel in a safe way,” said attorney Ine Van Wymersch. Yet there are still a lot of travelers who flout the rules and some airlines also fail to check for this.
“An important point in the fight against the spread of the corona virus is thoroughly checking travelers who leave and enter our country,” says attorney Ine Van Wymersch. “In the first place, the responsibility lies with each traveler himself to take the necessary precautions and to correctly complete and have the necessary documents with them, but the carriers also bear an important responsibility. The ministerial decree provides that they must check whether their passengers are in order with the necessary documents.”
Amicable settlement of 250 euros
The Board of Prosecutors General has therefore drawn up a new circular. That circular letter no longer provides warnings, according to Prosecutor Van Wymersch: “It has been clear for a long time now that there are obligations associated with travel. The government also makes information available to travelers through various channels. Going on a trip in times of corona requires more preparation and compliance with stricter rules than usual, everyone knows that by now.”
The Halle-Vilvoorde Public Prosecutor’s Office, together with the airport police, will now carry out targeted checks to check both travelers and transport companies: “If several travelers on a particular flight do not have the mandatory certificates and airline has not checked the documents or at least has embarked travelers who do not meet the conditions”.
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The public prosecutor will immediately fine and, if necessary, prosecute travelers without PLF. Travelers who are not in order will immediately be presented with an amicable settlement of 250 euros. Those who do not pay will be summoned to the police court. Travelers with a counterfeit PLF have to pay an amicable settlement of 750 euros, otherwise they will be prosecuted before the criminal court for “forgery of documents and use of false documents”.
Fines up to 48,000 euros
“The airline that failed to check and deny access to the aircraft will be summoned to appear in the police court,” said Attorney General Van Wymersch. “They risk fines of up to 48,000 euros.”
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