Agency forIntegrationON-THE-MOVE EventLeuven, Belgium

October 9th 2017

The Context of the Agency for Integration in Europe, Belgium, Flanders and Brussels

Kris De Busschercommunication manager

Belgium: Population

• 10,309,725(with naturalisation)

• 8.72% foreign nationality

• 66% EU

• 34% non-EU

• Brussels: 1,191,604

Belgium: Immigration History

• 1918…: reconstruction after WWI + coal industry

• 1945-1956: reconstruction after WWII + coal industry (1947: 3.9%)

• Golden sixties (1970: 4.3%)

• Seventies: migration stop (1981: 8.9%)

• Eighties: focus on 2nd and 3rd generations(1991: 9%, of which 33% 2nd and 3rd generations)

• Nineties: asylum migration

• 2004: European Directive on Free Movement of Persons

Belgium: Migration Policy

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT

• Access, residence, expulsion

• Foreign policy

• Domestic policy

Flanders: Integration

FLEMISH GOVERNMENT

• Reception and guidance of newcomers

• Responsible for work, education, welfare, housing,...

• 2013: Decree on Integration(with a civic integration programme as part of the Integration Policy)

Flanders: Decree on Integration

KEY HIGHLIGHTS

• Inclusive policy

• Tailored to the individual newcomer

• Mandatory Civic Integration Programme for non-EU citizens

• European mobility: voluntary Civic Integration Programme

• Based on Common Basic Principles on Integration (EU): two-way process!

Common Basic Principles

•CBP 1 ‘Integration is a dynamic, two-way process of mutual accommodation by all immigrants and residents of Member States’

Who Are We?

A government Agency° 2015

Our assignment:To implement the Flemish policy on integration

Our customers:Local authorities, organisations and citizens

Independent partners:- Agencies of Antwerp and Ghent- House of the Dutch Language in Brussels

What Do We Offer?

• A customised

quality offer

built on practice

• Civic Integration Programme

• Integration

• Learning Dutch

• Social interpreters and translators

• Legal services

Civic Integration

• We organise a Civic Integration Programme for newcomersand other people of foreign origin.

CIV

ICIN

TEG

RAT

ION

Social orientationcourse

Dutch language classes

Career guidance

Individual trajectory assistance

Integration

• We support governments and organisations in theirdiversity policies by eliminating accessibility barriers such aslanguage.

• How do I make my services more accessible as a municipality?• How do I optimise the social cohesion in the neighbourhood?• How do I involve people of foreign origin?

FOR EXAMPLE

Operations of our Agency in 2016

• 788 employees

• 18,057 new citizenship trajectories

• 10,713 citizenship certificates

• 611 guiding activities for local governments and organisations

• 12,750 questions to legal helpdesk

• 30,031 interpreting and translation assignments

• 49,182 guidance talks on learning Dutch

Brussels: Policy on Integration

BRUSSELS

• VGC as director

• Bon – Agencyfor Integration

• Voluntary Civic Integration Programme

• Towards a Brussels Civic Integration Policy?

Thank you!

Kris De Busschercommunication manager

www.integratie-inburgering.be

Local Welcoming Policies for EU mobile citizens

Dries van den Bremptcounseling expert – project coordinator

Agentschap Integratie en Inburgering - bon

Welcome Office of the Brussels region

• bon is the Brussels affiliate of the Agency of Integration

• 4 local offices and about 100 multilingual employees

•

• Target audience

• Newcomers and “old comers”

• Foreign nationality or Belgian nationals born abroad

• Registered at a Brussels municipality

• Minor newcomers

Agentschap Integratie en Inburgering - bon

Agentschap Integratie en Inburgering - bon

“Inburgeringstraject”

• Focus on autonomy, empowerment and skills

• Social orientation course, individual counselling andelementary Dutch language course

• Professional, educationaland/or sociocultural perspective

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2014 2015 2016 (jan-sept)

Integration trajectories in Brussels

Intakes Contracts

Agentschap Integratie en Inburgering - bon

Local Welcoming Policies for EU mobile citizens

January 2015 – December 2016

Aim of the project

Adapt and improve welcome policies:

• Remove barriers

• Full participation of EU mobile citizens

• Intercultural dialogue

• Monitoring and evaluation

Project themes and activities

• Amsterdam Labour market

• Brussels Social inclusion

• Copenhagen Housing

• Dublin Welcome information

• Gothenburg Cooperation with NGO’s

• Hamburg Healthcare

• Research• Front desk staff training• Pilot projects• Exchange of good practices• Thematic conferences

Pilot projects in Brussels

• Social orientation course for EU citizens

Romanian, Bulgarian and Spanish language

• Mentoring program Be.Face

In cooperation with private entreprises

• Website for EU mobile citizens

Welcome Toolkit for policy makers

Catalogue of options for EU cities

• Possible problems for EU mobile citizens

• Challenges for EU cities

• Recommendations on

local, national and European level

• Good practice examples

Information

Language

Network

Social inclusion

Social inclusion: challenges

• Getting accurate information to the people

• Orienting newcomers through bureaucracy

• Knowledge of the population

• Socio-economic profile

• Needs and aspirations

• Local & official languages: communication

• Solid social and professional network

Social inclusion: possible solutions

• Language acquisition

• Effective language training for all categories

• Learning opportunities on different levels

• Orientation programmes

• Civic courses and (individualised) guidance

• Multilingual services

• Social and professional network

• Stimulate interculturalism

• Provide opportunities for explicit and thematic networking events

Recommendations social inclusion

LOCAL

- Actively inform all EU mobile citizens

- Accessible communication

- Invest in language knowledge

- Facilitate network and interaction

Recommendations social inclusion

NATIONAL

- Development of coherent national framework

- Collaboration local and regional authorities

- Policies to target EU migrants

EUROPEAN

- European integration funding for EU citizens

- Foster city partnerships

Thank you!

Dries van den Bremptcounseling expert – project coordinator

www.integratie-inburgering.be