May 10, 2024 – 7:00 pm – Economy
©
Most immigrants in Belgium do not come from far away, as is often thought. Most of them come from European countries, led by France, the Netherlands and Italy. Moroccans are only the fifth largest group of non-EU citizens in Belgium.
Of the 1.5 million non-Belgians living in Belgium, 962,000 people come from the European Union. The largest group of non-EU citizens are Moroccans, with 78,510 people with a valid residence permit. Most of them come to Belgium to work or to join their families.
Read also: Moroccans in Belgium: 60 years old and still suffering from discrimination!
The number of asylum seekers in Belgium has risen in recent years, but is still lower than in 2015. In 2023, 35,507 people applied for asylum, including 4,227 Syrians, 3,718 Afghans and 3,249 Palestinians. 43.5% of asylum seekers were officially granted refugee status or subsidiary protection.
Read also: Morocco promises to return illegal immigrants from Belgium
The Belgian government is having difficulty deporting asylum seekers who have exhausted all legal remedies. In 2023, 6,099 people were deported from the country, a much lower number than in 2017 (11,065). One of the biggest challenges is convincing the country of origin to cooperate in the return of asylum seekers who have exhausted all legal remedies. It is estimated that 120,000 people live in Belgium without a residence permit. In April, a delegation from the Belgian government traveled to Rabat to negotiate this matter with Morocco.
“Creator. Award-winning problem solver. Music evangelist. Incurable introvert.”
More Stories
Funny protest against mass tourism in Galician village
Cause of backlash known in LATAM – in the sky
Increased investment in European defence startups