ABSTRACT
Before giving a brief overview on the evolution of Belgian migration control policy, it is important to outline its institutional framework, particularly because Belgium has been a federal state since 1985. Migration control is located at all levels of government: the federal, the community (i.e. the French-speaking Community, the Flemish Community, the German-speaking Community) and the regional (Wallonia, Flanders and the Brussels-Capital Region). 1 The control of entry, stay and exit in the Belgian territory is to a large extent a federal competence. The Federal Public Service for Home Affairs, also known as the Ministry for the Interior, and, notably, its Aliens Office are responsible for immigration control. They work in collaboration with the Federal Public Service for Foreign Affairs on visa-related matters, with the Federal Public Service for Employment to oversee workplace controls and the Federal Agency for the Reception ofAsylum Seekers (FEDASIL).
