Türkiye-Belgium Labor Migration: A Brief Overview
The Turkish-Belgian labor agreement signed on July 16, 1964 opened the doors to regular labor migration from Turkey to Belgium. One of the aims of the agreement was to eliminate the labor shortage in Belgium's industrialized regions. In the early years, the workers who arrived were generally employed in Belgium's coal mines, construction, and iron and steel factories. Following the agreement, the number of Turkish workers migrating to Belgium increased rapidly from the late 1960s onwards. Although the 1973 oil crisis and the subsequent economic recession halted the recruitment of workers in Western Europe, Turkish workers remained in Belgium and the process of migration through family reunification continued.
After the first generation of workers, the second generation who immigrated through family reunification, and the third generation of Turks born and raised in Belgium were also part of this process. Today, the Turkish population living in Belgium has become an important part of society. They play an active role in areas such as education, business life and politics.
As of 2023, the number of Turkish-origin population living in Belgium is estimated to be approximately 250 thousand. A significant portion of this population lives in large cities such as Brussels, Antwerp and Ghent. The demographic distribution of the Turkish population consists of young and middle-aged individuals, and their education levels and employment rates are close to the Belgian average.
According to Eurostat data, a large proportion of the Turkish population in Belgium participates in the active workforce and works in various sectors. With increasing levels of education, more young people of Turkish origin are turning to university education and are taking part in professional occupations.
The Turkish-Belgian labor migration has created significant historical, social and economic effects for both countries. The migration process has not only been limited to labor mobility, but has also brought about cultural interaction and social transformations. Today, the Turkish population living in Belgium continues to exist as an important part of the country's multicultural structure.
From this point of view, within the scope of the conference to be held on July 20, 2024 on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the labor agreement; the background of the migration from Turkey to Belgium and labor agreements, as well as the socio-economic and cultural dimensions of migration will be discussed. On the other hand, the program will touch on the social life of the Turkish community in Belgium in terms of adaptation, identity and belonging. In addition, the current problems regarding Turkish civil society organizations and political participation in Belgium and Islam and Muslims in Belgium will be emphasized. The conference aims to evaluate the relations between the two countries and draw a future projection.
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