The recent increase in the number of immigrants to Belgium has helped the country’s economy to grow and ease financial pressure on the deficit-landen national coffers, according to the latest report of the National Bank of Belgium (NBB).
According to the report, the surge in the number of migrants, during the past five years, has boosted the gross domestic product (GDP) in Belgium by 3.5 per cent, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.
It also has found that the difference in GDP contributions between non-EU and EU nationals was marginal (0.5 per cent). The study has revealed that immigration does not impact the opportunities of Belgian citizens negatively in the job market.
“No detrimental effects of immigration are found for natives in terms of wages, unemployment, participation, net income or welfare,” the report stressed.
The report of National Bank of Belgium was commissioned back in 2018 by then Finance Minister Johan Van Overtveldt “to substantiate debate regarding the migration”.
A total of 1.3 million migrants have acquired citizenship in Belgium, since the ease of the Belgian’s nationality law.
A total of 89.2 per cent of Turkey residents have been naturalized, followed by citizens of Morocco 88.4 per cent of and 75.4 per cent of Italians.
The Coronavirus situation has also impacted the asylum application process in the European Union countries.
According to a previous report of the European Asylum Support Office (EASO), more than 40,000 internationals sought asylum within the EU countries, during August.
These figures, EASO said, were higher compared to the July situation (about 43,000 applications), while it marked a significant decrease of 40 per cent, compared to January figures when a total of 65,692 applications filed.
However, EASO earlier highlighted that European Union Member States apply different asylum application procedures, at their National Borders.
In September, the European Union Commission proposed a new Pact on Migration and Asylum, which would include various elements that are needed for a comprehensive and common European approach regarding the migration.
In the same month, the European Union Commission and trade unions, together with other organisations, expressed their common interest to renew the cooperation under the European Partnership on Integration in order to open more doors to migrants and refugees in Europe, into the EU labour market.
SOURCE: Schengen Visa Info
