Mandatory civic integration in Brussels further postponed

"Despite the current asylum crisis, there is still no sign in Brussels of mandatory Civic integration Flanders has a policy for civic integration. This is a guided and targeted form of social integration for people of foreign origin. The intention is that the newcomers are provided with a valuable place in society by including them instead of excluding them. Civic integration, which includes language lessons and civic integration courses, was brought about by the participation of the N-VA in the Flemish Government since 2004 and the appointment of a Minister for Civic Integration. civic integration ," Brussels Parliament Member Liesbet Dhaene confirms. What's worse is that civic integration will only become mandatory on 17 January 2017 at the earliest. "And this despite the Brussels majority already having announced mandatory civic integration in July 2014. This is irresponsible and downright culpable negligence," Liesbet Dhaene concludes.

After the majority in the Brussels Parliament had voted against a proposal for mandatory civic integration made by the opposition party MR, it did the same with another opposition proposal to start a working group in order to achieve some progress on the file. "Because the MR proposal did not go far enough in our opinion, we are now submitting our own proposal," Liesbet Dhaene explains. "We choose a story of rights and obligations. Thus, we not only ask the newcomer to participate in civic integration modules, but also achieve certain goals, for example in the area of language skills. In addition, it is important to also apply the expertise built up in Flanders in Brussels."

Need for collaboration

Brussels is only authorised to make the civic integration mandatory and provide the framework, but Flanders and the French Community Commission of the Brussels Parliament (the COCOF) organise and finance the actual civic integration programmes. A loyal civic integration policy is only possibly through collaboration between Brussels, Flanders and the COCOF. "It is high time for Brussels to take action. If the Brussels government continues to muddle along, it is putting the future of all newcomers and the chance of a successful, diverse Brussels community in jeopardy," Liesbet Dhaene warns.