Diversity and integration

How are Brussels expats perceived in the Belgian capital? Who are they? A new study from the academic journal Brussels Studies published on 31 August addresses these issues.

 

Brussels is a multicultural and cosmopolitan city with around 70 languages spoken. Its population is one million inhabitants, over half of them is estimated of foreign origin. High-skilled expats working for the European institutions and related entities such as national and regional representations, NGOs, consultancies and other civil society organisations number around 100,000, which represents 10% of the city's population.

 

According to Brussels Studies, these expats are usually highly-educated, job-driven and are well-paid. They are very sociable and generally young, but only live in the city for short periods. Moreover, they gather in an international community, have minimal contact with Belgians and often cannot speak French or Dutch, partly because they intend to stay in the city for a limited period.

 

As for the native Bruxellois, many see expats as "privileged" and are annoyed by the changes to the urban architecture and the increase in real-estate prices that their presence in the city entails, according to the study. They are perceived by locals as a "separate community" of high-salaried, but this perception is an effect of the incorrect correlation between EU institution officers and expats.

 

Source: Euractive