More civic integration participants to pay for integration courses
More people taking part in Flanders' civic integration programme will be required to contribute financially to their integration process under reforms approved by the Flemish government on Friday, interior minister Hilde Crevits announced.
“I am convinced that something only gains value if you charge something for it,” the minister said in parliament on Wednesday in response to a topical question.
A civic integration programme currently costs 180 euros, although several categories of participants are exempt. These include people receiving social welfare benefits, detainees, certain job seekers and individuals following employment pathways.
Fewer exemptions
Under the planned reform, exemptions will be limited to unaccompanied foreign minors and participants registered in the Brussels-Capital Region.
According to the government, unaccompanied minors will remain exempt because of their vulnerable situation. Participants in Brussels will also continue to be exempt in order to keep Flemish integration courses accessible, as free bilingual integration programmes are available there as an alternative.
People receiving increased social benefits, as well as those receiving social welfare or social assistance from a Public Centre for Social Welfare (OCMW), will be eligible for a reduced rate. All other participants will be required to pay the full fee once the decree enters into force.
The changes form part of a broader modernisation of Flemish integration and civic integration policy.
#FlandersNewsService | © PHOTO NICOLAS GUYONET / HANS LUCAS
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