Ghent: 35% of new Bulgarians are job seekers

The figures for the previous year in Ghent were: Bulgarians 41, Romanians 3.

Ghent city cabinet member Sofie Bracke says it's not quite clear whether these are new arrivals or people who have already been staying in the city using a different status. The city cabinet member won't use the word 'stampede', but she is eager to continue to monitor the impact in the field of the opening up of the Belgian labour market to Bulgarian and Romanian migrants.

39% of the new Bulgarians registered as employees, while 35% said that they were jobless. A further 21% are benefiting from a family reunification, while 5% are independent professionals.

Sofie Bracke: "The figures show that the opening up of the labour market has a massive impact on the status that new migrants are choosing. 23% opted for employee status last year. Today three-quarters are either employees or job seekers."

The city cabinet member notes that it won't be easy for most of these new job seekers to acquire a right to long-term residence given the current state of the Ghent labour market.

Bulgarians who apply as job seekers will have to show that there is a prospect of them finding work within a reasonable period of time. The Belgian Aliens’ Department will assess individual dossiers. Bulgarians who register as employees are bound to present a labour contract within 3 months. The Aliens’ Department will continue to monitor their situation for five years.

In Antwerp too the figures are on the up. City cabinet minister Liesbeth Homans says that the increase there is 30%. During the first three weeks of the year 56 Bulgarians and 51 Romanians registered. The figures for last year were 42 Bulgarians and 51 Romanians.