ABSTRACT
In order to accurately discuss the politicisation of immigration in Belgium, we first need to determine whether the debate ought to be studied for Belgium as a country, or separately for the Dutch-speaking (Flanders) and French-speaking (Wallonia) parts of the country. As Zapata-Barrero (2009) rightfully argues, a proper analysis of the debates on immigration supposes that for the political entity under study, the receiving society and the receiving state coincide. This is far from being straightforward when it comes to the case of Belgium, due to its gradual evolution to a complex and intricate federal system in recent years. Like other federations (e.g. Spain or Switzerland discussed in this volume) its institutions are the outcome of specific and widely varying demands, as well as a long series of compromises between language groups and regions that constitute the Belgian national territory. Though the journey from unitarism towards federalism started in the 1960s, it is the last 20 years that have seen the most intense transfers of powers to the regional entities (Deschouwer, 2011).
