Flanders takes first step toward mandatory integration courses abroad

Starting this autumn, some migrants coming to Flanders or Brussels will begin their integration journey before they set foot in Belgium. The Flemish government is launching a digital ‘social orientation’ course for people applying to move to the region through family reunification or work, De Standaard reports.

This is part of a longer-term plan to make pre-departure integration mandatory. Eventually, migrants may need to prove they have completed the course before receiving a visa. That decision, however, will require cooperation with the federal government, which controls migration policy.

The online course is designed to help newcomers better understand Flemish society, values, and norms. “This will help increase self-reliance and make it easier for migrants to access our labour market”, said Flemish integration minister Hilde Crevits.

“This will help increase self-reliance and make it easier for migrants to access our labour market”

The course is not a language class, but a self-study guide on everyday life in Flanders. It will be available digitally in several languages and followed up remotely by an adviser based in Belgium.

It is the first official step towards the Flemish government’s goal of starting integration before arrival. In 2024, nearly 60 per cent of newcomers arrived either for work (34 per cent) or family reunification (25 per cent). According to minister Crevits, family migrants in particular often struggle to integrate due to language barriers and difficulty entering the job market.

The idea builds on past pilot projects with Arabic-speaking migrants from Morocco, Lebanon, and Jordan, which showed promising results. However, the agency behind the initiative warns of possible challenges ahead, including financial and logistical demands.

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