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Belgium as (a) deviant case(s) in the European trend towards integration requirements?

Belgium as (a) deviant case(s) in the European trend towards integration requirements? . . Dr. Ilke Adam (Post-doctoral researcher at the Institute for European Studies, VUB (main affiliation) Lecturer, UniversitéLibre de Bruxelles (Political Science Department). Belgium as (a) deviant cases.

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Belgium as (a) deviant case(s) in the European trend towards integration requirements?

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  1. Belgium as (a) deviant case(s) in the European trend towards integration requirements? . Dr. Ilke Adam (Post-doctoral researcher at the Institute for European Studies, VUB (main affiliation) Lecturer, UniversitéLibre de Bruxelles (Political Science Department)

  2. Belgium as (a) deviant cases European trend of integration requests towards migrants at all stages of their immigrant journey -access to the territory -access to legal & secure status -access to nationality

  3. Belgium as (a) deviant caseS -”regions” are competent for integration policy -federal state is competent for -“immigration” & asylum policy (access to territory, residence status, removal) - formal access to citizenship (access to nationality, social rights) -access to political rights (right to vote and be elected)

  4. Why is Belgium (a) deviant case(s)? -access to nationality: no integration request -access to residence status: no integration request -access to the territory: no integration request Does this mean that there are no integration requests at all ? YES indeed: in Brussels and Wallonia NO: Flanders follows the trend with compulsory civic integration courses for immigrants BUT: not linked to access to residence or nationality WHY? Federal competence, needs agreement with fr.

  5. Why no easy federal compromise on tighter integration requests? Different politicization in Fla/francophone Belgium: pro versus anti-immigrant politicization - Flanders: extreme right party: voters position on immigrants/integration have become determining element for explaining voting behaviour in Flanders, more then in francophone Belgium: anti-immigrant politicization -francophone Belgium: importance of the electorate with immigrant background for largest party particularly in Brussels (PS) + no competition at the right of the political spectrum (no professional extreme right party) : pro-immigrant politicization

  6. The removal of integration requests for nationality in 2000 Liberalization of nationality law in 2000: -naturalization (favour) after 3 years of residence -obtaining nationality by mere declaration (right): 7 years of residence -no integration or language requirements How to explain this liberalization? Link to the access to political rights issue: voting rights for non-EU nationals (Rea, 2000; Foblets&Yanasmayan, 2010).

  7. Flemish civic integration policies Flanders as an INTEC mainstream: compulsory courses Flanders as an INTEC outsider: -no test -free of charge -no link to residence permit (but fine) -also compulsory for Belgians from foreign origin

  8. Flemish civic integration policies Citizenship trajectories include: -Dutch as a second language course -Social orientation course (practical knowledge, norms and values, institutions, history, … teached in several languages) -Vocational guidance -Individual counseling during the program

  9. ‘No’ Walloon civic integration policy No structured regional offer of civic integration trajectories Local and sub-regional but non coordinated initiatives Voices arise for a structured regional offer, no call for mandatory trajectories  absence of politicization : Immigration/integration is considered as a problem of Flanders (extreme right) & Brussels (high numbers), and not of the Walloon region

  10. Brussels: 2 different policies Two competent institutions, with each a different policy: -Flemish Community: offers the same citizenship trajectories in Brussels, but not compulsory -French Community Commission of the Brussels Capital Regions (legislative power): no structured offer of citizenship trajectories but finances local initiatives which promote the ‘reception and the guidance of newcomers’

  11. What does the Belgian anomaly learns us? The importance of anti-immigrant politicization in explaining the set up of compulsory civic integration courses Institutional (and not always ideological) reasons can be at the origin of less stringent integration requirements The comparison between francophone & Flemish integration policies shows a difference between an interventionist versus a laissez-faire (assimilationist) integration policy (Adam, 2010).

  12. Thanks for your attention! Dr. Ilke Adam Institute for European Studies – VrijeUniversiteitBrussel Ilke.adam@vub.ac.be

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