Immigrants in Belgium

Immigrants in Belgium in historical perspective

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Content

• 1. Four phases in migration 1920-1939: interbellum 1946-1956: after WO II 1956-1974: the golden sixties 1974-2009: after the immigration stop

• 2. The Belgian multicultural society Statistics Challenges Difficulties Discourses

• 3. Shifting focus in policy

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2. Four phases in migration: 1920-1939

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Four phases in migration1920-1939• Context

rebuilding the country after WO I

• Recruitment campaigns for foreign labourers• Main goal

the coal industry in Wallonia and Limburg

• First immigrants from neighbouring countries France, The Netherlands, Germany

• Later from Poland and Italy• 1930

319.000 (3,9%)

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Four phases in migration1946-1956• Context

rebuilding Belgium after WO II

• Boom period difficulties in finding enough labourers for heavy

industry (harber, building, coal)

• From the sixties recruitment from North Africa and Turkey:

“Welcome in Belgium!!”

• Report Sauvy due to demographic reasons also the immigration

of complete families is advised

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Four phases in migration1974-2009• Early seventies

oil crisis • 1974

West-European immigration-stop• Not applied to

people living in EU people appealing to family reunion asylum seekers and refugees

• Presupposition problems of migration will disappear

• Since 1989 an increase of Eastern-European and Chinese immigrants

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The Belgian multicultural society - Statistics

• In 2007 Belgium (10.584.534 inhabitants) had 932.161 (8,8%) inhabitants with a foreign nationality.

• Taking into account New Belgians (immigrants adopting the Belgian nationality) 1.709.487 (6,1%) = 14,9%

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The Belgian multicultural society - Statistics

85,1

8,8

6,1

0,0%

20,0%

40,0%

60,0%

80,0%

100,0%

Belgian inhabitants

New Belgians

ForeignnationalityBelgians

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• Dispersal over districts Flanders: 331.694 (5,4%) Wallonia: 316.940 (8,8%) Brussels: 283.527 (27,5%)

The Belgian multicultural society - Statistics

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5,48,8

27,5

0

10

20

30

40

50

% of inhabitants with foreignnationality per district

BrusselsWalloniaFlanders

The Belgian multicultural society - Statistics

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• Ghent (237.250 inhabitants) 7,8% foreigners + New Belgians = 15% (33.250) of which 9975 of Turkish origin, 1995 of Moroccan

origin

The Belgian multicultural society - Statistics

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The Belgian multicultural society - Statistics

85

7,8

7,2

0,0%

20,0%

40,0%

60,0%

80,0%

100,0%

I nhabitants of Ghent

New Belgians

ForeignnationalityBelgians

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The Belgian multicultural society - Challenges• Changing social relations

more dynamic and complex loss of traditional structures such as

village, church, family… more choices to make, more experts to

advise us demands more capacity and flexibility

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• Correlation between the degree of diversity and our poor social cohesion? how do we want to live together? how do we want to mix with each other,

our neighbours, or guests? how many differences are we prepared

to deal with? how do we imagine our common future?

The Belgian multicultural society - Challenges

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The Belgian multicultural society - Difficulties • Deficit in participation to education

More than 1/3th of immigrant children do not participate to kindergarten with a language and learning deficit as a consequence

Only 2% of the first-year students in Flemish colleges has a different cultural background

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The Belgian multicultural society - Difficulties• Deficit in participation to work

Immigrants earn 10% up to 25% less Overconcentration of immigrants in low paid

and/or part-time jobs

• Deficit in well-being Immigrants feel less healthy Immigrants don’t find their way in health

care that easily

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The Belgian multicultural society - Discourses• Racism is generally more directed towards

Moroccan and Turkish, i.e. Islamic immigrants.• Immigrants from neighbouring countries are not

named and recognized as such, although they outnumber Islamic immigrants.

• East-Europeans are perceived as problematic when it comes to competition on the labour market.

• Policies and laws against racism Equal chances- and equal treatment policy (2008) Law against negationism (1991) Anti-racism law (1981)

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Shifting focus in policy

• 80’s > After the migration stop: shift from immigration towards civic integration reduced to health policy for immigrants

• 1989 > Towards an integral and coordinated immigration policy pressure of increasing racism (1991: Black Sunday: VB

24%) integration put into practice: a balance between

segregation and assimilation politics !

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Shifting focus in policy

• 1995 > Broadening policy towards ethnic-cultural minorities: newcomers: treat policy permanent: emancipation policy sans-papiers: intake policy

• focus on participation and inclusion improving the social-economic position of

immigrants elimination of barriers

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Shifting focus in policy

• 2002 > equal changes in education decree seek to oppose social exclusion and discrimination: special

attention for kids of deprived families

• 2008 > participation decree a mix of structural support or initiatives by means of

projects, pointed at the participation of a large public and deprived groups, such as immigrants

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Shifting focus in policy

• 2009 > Minority policy changes into an integration policy working towards one society where individuals with

diverse backgrounds live with and through each other

through empowerment and accessibility one active and shared citizenship attention to particular target groups Actors involved: the Flemish government, citizens,

the integration sector, the allochtonous middenveld