Euthanasia practices face scrutiny in Belgium and Canada

Reports from Belgium and Canada highlight growing concerns regarding the expansion and application of euthanasia and medical assistance in dying (MAiD) laws.

In Belgium, statistics from the Federal Commission for the Control and Evaluation of Euthanasia show a significant increase in cases. The number of euthanasia deaths rose from 259 in 2003 to 4,487 in 2025, representing a 31 percent increase from 2023. Data indicates that 75.8 percent of these cases involved patients whose deaths were expected in the foreseeable future, while 24.2 percent involved individuals not nearing natural death. The reports also noted two cases involving minors under age 18 and fifteen cases involving advance requests.

In Canada, psychiatry professors from the University of Toronto have raised alarms regarding the ease of accessing MAiD. They cited a case of a woman in her 70s who was approved for assisted death after losing her ability to cook, which led her to feel she had lost her value to her family. Experts warn that the system is no longer functioning as an option of last resort, with reports suggesting individuals may seek the procedure due to poverty, loneliness, or normal unhappiness rather than terminal illness.