Labour migration from outside the EU peaks in Flanders

Labour migration from outside the EU has experienced a significant surge, with a 53 per cent increase in permits granted in 2023 compared to previous years. These findings, obtained by De Tijd from the office of Flemish Minister of Work Jo Brouns (CD&V), underscore the growing reliance of Flemish employers on non-EU citizens to address workforce shortages.

In 2023, Flanders authorised nearly 16,700 non-EU citizens to work in the region, surpassing the annual average of 10,890 permits issued during the period 2019-2022 by more than half. The primary cause behind this trend is the persistent tightness in the local labour market.

In 2022, the Flemish employment intermediary VDAB faced a critical shortage with only 1.7 jobseekers per vacancy, yet the number of non-EU citizens granted work permits that year was lower than the 16,000 recorded in 2023.

Notably, despite the increasing demand, a relatively high number of work permit applications face rejection. Last year alone, 2,000 files were turned down, a stark contrast to the previous annual maximum of 600 rejections. This upswing can be attributed to heightened scrutiny and more stringent controls on economic migration.

_{#FlandersNewsService |©BELGA PHOTO SISKA GREMMELPREZ}

Related News

Belgium's regions join forces to fill job vacancies across language border

Flemish and Walloon public employment agencies VDAB and Forem have reached an agreement to get 12,500 Walloon jobseekers into work in Flanders...

belganewsagency.eu

Record number of jobseekers obtain diploma through Flemish employment service

More than 2,000 jobseekers obtained a diploma through the Flemish Employment Service (VDAB) last year. About 80 per cent found a job within three...

belganewsagency.eu