MIGRASYL

News on migration and asylum from around the region - Nouvelles de la région sur les questions de migration et d'asile

Friday, December 14, 2012

[Belgium] Migration Information Source - Country Profiles. Belgium: A Country of Permanent Immigration


[Picture from same article - copyright migrationinformation.org, 11/2012 – Image Thomas Quine]

11/2012. Belgium is often overlooked as a country of immigration because of its size and its less known history of immigration. Yet over the last three decades Belgium has become a permanent country of settlement for many different types of migrants.

Migration, asylum, and integration policies have largely been responsive in nature, reacting to circumstance, rather than pursuing a long-term vision. It is only in recent years that policymakers have started to develop new policies and legislation in a more consistent way.

Public opinion, heated immigration debates, and a consistent rise of right-wing parties have no doubt played a role in this as well.

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