Ghent establishes ‘International House’ to support expats
In April, following Leuven’s example, Ghent will open an International House where international workers, researchers and their families can seek support with practical and administrative matters when settling in the region. The International House will also assist companies in attracting and supporting foreign employees.
The International House East Flanders will be a physical and digital hub where international workers can seek advice on housing, administration, integration and career guidance, amongst other things. Partners and families who have moved with them will also receive support there. Companies and organisations can obtain information on regulations, permits and the support of international employees.
According to Sofie Bracke, alderwoman for economic affairs, such an initiative is necessary to support the city’s growth. “Everyone agrees that we need to attract more international talent if we want to continue growing as a city.” The business community is echoing this sentiment. Geert Moerman of the employers’ organisation Voka East Flanders underlined that more and more companies are having to look outside Belgium to fill vacancies.
The initiative is a partnership between the City of Ghent, Ghent University, the Province of East Flanders, North Sea Port, Voka East Flanders and Embuild East Flanders. The helpdesk will be based in the Voka Box on Lammerstraat, with additional consultation hours at the Ghent City Office. The city is providing approximately 100,000 euros in funding.
There are no exact figures on the number of expats in Ghent, but various indicators do point to an international presence in the labour market. According to economic migration figures from the Flemish government, around 13,000 foreign professionals have come to East Flanders to work over the past six years, via a work permit that was either applied for or renewed.
In the Ghent region, there were 145,192 highly skilled workers in 2023, of whom 14,243 were of foreign origin. In addition, around 20 per cent of the staff at Ghent University are non-Belgian nationals, and there are nearly 3,000 international PhD students working at the university. In total, it is estimated that around 25,500 people of foreign nationality are working in Ghent, although this figure also includes people residing in Belgium through other channels.
The establishment of the International House was approved by Ghent’s city council on Thursday evening. It is due to open in April.
#FlandersNewsService | Historical centre of Ghent, Belgium © PHOTO IMAGEBROKER
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