Brussels: Europe and the Arabs
The number of foreigners who will obtain Belgian citizenship will reach new levels this year. This is clear from the latest figures issued by the Belgian Statistics Office. In total, about 29,000 foreigners (28,851 to be exact) obtained Belgian citizenship in the first half of 2023. According to what was reported in a far-right statement by Thom van Grecken, head of the Vlaams Belang party, he added: “If this trend continues, we risk arriving... to approximately 58,000 “new Belgians” this year.” “This is not only significantly more than last year, which was already a record year with 47,561 ‘Belgian arrivals’, but it is also the highest number in more than twenty years.”
About three-quarters of foreigners who obtained Belgian citizenship in the first half of the year are citizens of countries outside the European Union. “In addition to the Moroccans, who are almost constantly at the forefront, there are nationals from Syria and Afghanistan who have obtained Belgian citizenship,” Van Grecken says. “No matter how you look at it: Naturalization of people is working at full speed.” "With this number, we are once again in the situation we were in in 2000 and 2001," confirms the Vlaams Belang president. Then, as a result of the notorious “Snel Belg” law, more than 60,000 foreigners were naturalized and became “Belgians.”
“The ID card should be more than just a utility card.”
According to Van Grecken, the explanation for this is clear. “While this country has been facing mass immigration for years, the notorious Snell Belge law was replaced at most ten years ago by a ‘flexible Belgian’ law,” he explains. “In order to obtain citizenship, the requirements for economic self-reliance are very lax.” The terms of integration are not very binding.” Vlaams Belang argues that citizenship should only be granted if a person has resided here legally and continuously for at least ten years, has not committed any criminal offences, has made a declaration of loyalty, made an active economic contribution to our society and has passed a legal test. Which, among other things, tests knowledge of the regional language.

“Citizenship is something that must be earned,” van Greken concludes. “An ID card should be more than just a benefits card. One that one can simply claim and that is only used when it provides benefits.”