ABSTRACT

Belgium has for a long time been an immigration country. The post-Second World War period was marked by the arrival of immigrants from several Mediterranean countries. The new patterns of migration and the growing variety of nationalities triggered quite some political debate. In public discourse, distinctions between clandestine undocumented migrants, refugees, asylum seekers and other newcomers were blurred. Belgium has adjusted its admission policy within the framework of the Schengen co-operation and as a result of the process of European integration. It also modified its legislation in response to a number of domestic developments with regard to migration. The overall framework for any policy regarding immigrants in Belgium was devised in 1989 by the Royal Commissariat for Migrant Policies. Owing to the complex institutional framework of the Belgian federal political system, both the Flemish and Francophone communities have jurisdiction with regard to policies concerning immigrants or ethnic minority groups in the Brussels-Capital Region.