With Most of its Unemployed Foreign-Born, Belgium Tightens Benefit Rules

Six in ten jobless people have migrant roots, prompting the Belgian government to cap benefits after two years—aiming to cut costs by €2 billion.

Piqsels, public domain.

Six in ten jobless people have migrant roots, prompting the Belgian government to cap benefits after two years—aiming to cut costs by €2 billion.

Around 60% of Belgium’s unemployed population have a non-Belgian background, according to new government figures.

‘Weak’ prime minister Bart De Wever’s administration released the statistics while aiming to tighten welfare and immigration policies.

Employment Minister David Clarinval described the data as “astonishing,” saying migrants often struggle with the country’s languages and institutions but stressed that “everyone must work, including people of foreign origin.”

The figures show that 41.5% of jobless people are Belgian, with nearly 13% of North African origin. De Wever’s government plans to limit receipt of unemployment benefits to two years’ maximum starting next year, a move expected to affect 180,000 people and save nearly €2 billion.