Abstract
Between its independence in 1830 and the beginning of the twentieth century, Belgium has experienced more emigration than immigration. Today emigration remains a secondary topic in the political debate, and thus related (state) public policies are still underdeveloped. Thus most of the emigration policies and programmes actually rely on a variety of actors. In other words, it seems difficult to give an account of the opportunities and obstacles that shape the international mobility of Belgian citizens by referring only to state-level policies. In addition, in the context of the federal organisation of the Belgian state, regional international institutions appear to have found an interest in strengthening ties with Belgian people abroad. In this chapter the ramifications of this multilevel approach for emigration and diaspora policies in Belgium are explored.
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Notes
- 1.
For more information, see Centre interfédéral pour l’égalité des chances et la lutte contre le racisme, and Centre de recherche en démographie et sociétés. 2013. “Migrations et Populations Issues de L’immigration En Belgique.” Centre Interfédéral pour l’Egalité des Chances, p. 27.
- 2.
The Red Star Line was a shipping company which carried Belgian emigrants to North America between 1837 and 1934.
- 3.
See the document of the 2012 ceremony http://gouvernement.wallonie.be/remise-des-distinctions-2012-du-m-rite-wallon (last accessed: 08/05/16).
- 4.
https://fr-ca.facebook.com/belgesduboutdumonde/info/?tab=page_info (last accessed: 08/05/16)
- 5.
See the UFBE website: https://www.ufbe.be/index.php/qui-sommes-nous (last accessed: 08/05/16)
- 6.
See the UFBE’s statutes on the organisation website (my translation): https://www.ufbe.be/index.php/qui-sommes-nous/nos-statuts (last accessed: 08/05/16)
- 7.
- 8.
See the BIJ “Quebec programme”: http://www.lebij.be/index.php/programme-quebec/ (last accessed: 08/05/16) Or the OQWBJ website: http://www.lojiq.org/a-propos/les-offices/oqwbj/ (last accessed: 08/05/16)
- 9.
For a list of the Working Holidays programme agreements, see the website of the Belgian Foreign Office: https://dofi.ibz.be/sites/dvzoe/FR/Guidedesprocedures/Pages/Le_programme_Vacances_Travail.aspx (last accessed 08/05/16)
- 10.
See the website of the Belgian Department of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation: http://diplomatie.belgium.be/fr/politique/cooperation_au_developpement/qui_sommes-nous/nos_partenaires (last accessed: 08/05/16)
- 11.
For an overview, see the international FNRS mobility programmes: http://www.frs-fnrs.be/index.php/international/introduction (last accessed: 08/05/16) Or the international FWO mobility programmes: http://www.fwo.be/Internationale-mobiliteit.aspx (last accessed: 08/05/16)
- 12.
More information can be found on the website of the FOREM: https://www.leforem.be/particuliers/etranger-liens-emploi.html (last accessed: 08/05/16) And the website of the VDAB: http://www.vdab.be/internationaal/ (last accessed: 08/05/16) Or the document from the FOREM: Carnet de route de la mobilité internationale, FOREM, 2011.
- 13.
http://www.belgium.be/fr/formation/international/etudier_a_l_etranger/ (last accessed: 08/05/16)
- 14.
Beyond the European regulation instruments, Belgium has signed agreements with: Algeria, Australia, Bosnia, Canada and Quebec, Chile, Morocco, Montenegro, the Philippines, San Marino, Serbia, Congo, South Korea, Croatia, the United States, Tunisia, Turkey, Uruguay, India, Israel, Japan, Kosovo and Macedonia. For the list and the detail of each agreement, see: https://www.socialsecurity.be/CMS/fr/leaving_belgium/content/leaving_belgium/themas/spfssfodsz/FODSZ_Convention.xml (Last accessed: 08/05/16)
- 15.
http://finances.belgium.be/fr/particuliers/international/accords_internationaux/#q1 (Last accessed: 08/05/16)
- 16.
In 2015, the Quebec Days event was only organised in Paris without the direct participation of Belgian employment agencies. However, Belgian candidates were also able to apply to attend this event.
- 17.
Of course, this is a very caricaturised portrait. What I want to stress here is the role of non-state actors in the development of emigration opportunities and obstacles.
- 18.
As an example of such an institution, see the Klokhuis school, which provides Dutch language lessons as well as “Dutch and Belgian culture lessons” in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut: http://www.klokhuis.com/en/ (last accessed: 08/05/16)
- 19.
http://www.belspo.be/belspo/organisation/call_grants_retour_fr.stm (last accessed: 08/05/16)
- 20.
http://www.fnrs.be/index.php/international/carrieres/postes-in-out (last accessed: 08/05/16)
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Mandin, J. (2017). When Belgians Are the Migrants: An Overview of Narratives, Public Policies and Actors Framing the Question of Emigration in Belgium. In: Weinar, A. (eds) Emigration and Diaspora Policies in the Age of Mobility. Global Migration Issues, vol 9. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-56342-8_3
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