Record number of newcomers earn integration certificates in Flanders

A record 17,938 newcomers successfully completed the civic integration programme in Flanders in 2024, according to figures released on Wednesday by Flemish integration minister Hilde Crevits (CD&V). The certificate confirms that participants have met all requirements of the integration process, including language training and civic orientation.

The majority (12,144) earned their certificates through the Flemish Agency for Integration and Civic Integration. In Antwerp, 4,433 completed the programme via Atlas, while 1,361 did so in Ghent through Amal. The total marks an increase from 15,427 in 2023, according to the 2024 Integration Annual Report.

Antwerp city recorded the highest number of certificates, followed by West Flanders, the province of Antwerp, East Flanders, Flemish Brabant, Limburg, Brussels, and Ghent.

On average, participants took 14 months to complete the programme, up from 12 months in 2023. 

Meanwhile, enrolments in Dutch as a Second Language (NT2) courses rose to 136,869, with a 9 per cent increase in unique participants over the past year.

“It shows how much effort newcomers make to build a life here. Language is the key to integration.”

Minister Crevits called the results “particularly positive news”, adding: “It shows how much effort newcomers make to build a life here. Language is the key to integration.”

In 2024, 52,976 newcomers arrived in Flanders, a 3 per cent decrease compared to 2023. It is continuing a downward trend after a post-Covid peak in 2022. Most newcomers originated from countries such as Romania, Ukraine, the Netherlands, Turkey, Morokko, Poland, Bulgaria, Portugal and Spain. 

The majority of arrivals came for work, with ‘EU+ labour migrant’ the most common residency status (14,252), followed by ‘family reunification with a third-country national’ (6,396) and ‘temporary displaced persons’ (5,561). Nearly half of adult newcomers (47 per cent) were aged between 18 and 29. Women made up 49 per cent of all newcomers, compared to 51 per cent men.

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