Activity 9: Conclusion
Brussels, the second most cosmopolitan city in the world?
Activity 9: Conclusion
What should you take away from this section?
Since the independence of Belgium in 1830, the population of Brussels has increased sharply, initially due to internal migration flows (the rural exodus from Flanders and Wallonia to the industries of a rapidly developing capital). Then, external migratory flows profoundly changed the composition of the Brussels population, especially after the Second World War. The growing demand for cheap, low-skilled labour led Belgium to sign a series of bilateral agreements in the 1950s to attract workers from Italy, Spain and Greece, and later from Morocco, Turkey, Tunisia and Algeria. These migrants mainly settled in the historic working-class districts of Brussels, in the centre and west (along the canal) of the urban region.
The arrival in Brussels of a growing number of European and international institutions from the middle of the 20th century onwards also helped to attract many foreign workers, this time around highly qualified ones, who settled mainly in the residential areas in the south and east of the urban region.
You found out that foreign residents in Brussels do not enjoy the same rights depending on their nationality. Nationals of an EU Member State enjoy a more extensive citizenship than nationals of a third country, particularly regarding the right to vote and to stand as a candidate for an election.
The arrival of new immigrants since the 1950s has also led to the emergence of discrimination and political, institutional and social racism, which increased when Belgium was hit by the economic crisis of the 1970s. The discrimination suffered by immigrant populations or populations of foreign origin is still today a major obstacle in accessing housing and employment. You have also learned that the Brussels school system does not play a role as a social lift for disadvantaged people.
In the 1990s, the diversification of Brussels' residents became even more pronounced, with the arrival of populations from the former USSR, from the new member states of the European Union and from a growing number of asylum seekers. The nationalities present in Brussels are therefore extremely varied.
At the same time, since the 1960s, the middle classes have increasingly left the city to settle on its periphery. This phenomenon, known as peri-urbanisation, can be explained by the high price of real estate in the city centre, the search for green spaces, support from public authorities to facilitate access to home ownership or home-work mobility, as well as a negative perception of the city. All this has led to an increase in the proportion of foreign residents in Brussels and, in conjunction with this, to a rejuvenation of the Brussels population.
The diversification of the Brussels population has also been reflected on the political scene. When people of foreign origin acquired Belgian nationality, they also acquired the right to vote. In addition, European and later non-European residents also obtained the right to vote (sometimes under certain conditions). The political scene in Brussels has therefore also diversified, with the appearance of a growing number of candidates of foreign origin who have won legislative and executive mandates.
As you can see, migration to Brussels therefore has very diverse roots, and migrants have very different profiles, which in their own way contribute to reinforcing the spatial dualisation of the city. Some neighbourhoods display a very strong multicultural character, such as the Matongé district in Ixelles, an African district built in the footsteps of Belgium's colonial past. You have also seen that the legacy of colonisation is still very much present in Brussels and that the debate about the decolonisation of the public space is heated. However, certain activities, such as the Zinneke parade, highlight the cultural contribution of this incredible mix of populations.
These migratory flows have therefore led to a strong diversification of the Brussels population: in 2015, almost 60% of Brussels residents did not have the Belgian nationality at the time of their birth. This demographic trend also has linguistic repercussions. In recent years, the number of Brussels residents who grew up in a monolingual French- or Dutch-speaking family has fallen to between 40 and 60% of the city's population. The linguistic diversification is particularly striking when analysing the data on the language used to communicate in different situations (at home, at work, with friends, when shopping, etc.). Finally, it is interesting to note that the Taalbarometer of 2018 indicates that nearly ¾ of the inhabitants of Brussels consider bilingualism or multilingualism to be an important characteristic of their region today!
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