BRUSSELS – Belgium’s social-liberal Spirit party has called for a total ban on the private use of firearms after new figures shows that 2 million guns are in circulation in the country.

The figure, published Wednesday, means that theoretically one in every five Belgian residents owns a gun, although only 669,273 guns are registered in the central registry.

For her part, Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Minister Laurette Onkelinx is expected to support a strengthening of federal gun control laws in the near future.

[Copyright Expatica 2004]

Subject : Belgian news