THESIM Towards Harmonised European Statistics on International Migration Project financed by the 6th Framework Research Programme of the European Union Statistics on international migration and asylum in Belgium Nicolas Perrin

Situation in terms of migration statistics Belgium has efficient administrative databases We should be able to produce most indicators However, until recently: –Potentially available data, but statistics are often neither produced nor published –Harmonisation was not a priority

Recent efforts in terms of improvement and harmonisation Efforts were done to improve the situation –By Statistics Belgium –By Immigration Service (Office des Etrangers) –… It will take time … … but first results

Some results…

Foreigners and Belgian citizens,

Foreigners by country of citizenship,

Immigrations and emigrations of foreigners,

Immigrations and emigrations of foreigners by citizenship

Evolution of the number of foreigners,

Evolution of the number of foreigners by main citizenship,

Acquisitions of citizenship

8% of foreigners ( )

15% of foreigners and Belgian citizens by acquisition ( )

Foreigners and Belgian citizens by acquisition and citizenship of origin

New asylum applications,

Citizenship of new applicants

Lessons from the Belgium example: –Statistics are useful to understand the migration process –It is possible to improve those statistics –Further efforts are needed

THESIM Towards Harmonised European Statistics on International Migration Thank you Project financed by the 6th Framework Research Programme of the European Union

THESIM Towards Harmonised European Statistics on International Migration Press conference Project financed by the 6th Framework Research Programme of the European Union When? 30th March 2006 at 10:30 Where? Résidence Palace (lecture room, ground floor) rue de la Loi, 155 Brussels Who? - Michel Poulain (Unviersité catholique de Louvain) - Ann Singleton (University of Bristol) - Nicolas Perrin (Université catholique de Louvain)