User:Yussef13/sandbox/sandbox 2nd Edit

From the 19th century to 1974
One of the oldest immigrant communities in Brussels is the Polish community. Polish immigrants have been resettling in Belgium for at least three centuries. The capital city of Brussels has historically been the most preferable destination, however, Antwerp also contains many polish immigrants. Polish immigration to Brussels increased significantly during and after World War II. The city of Brussels also experienced another wave of immigration after World War II when Belgian Government signed agreements with Mediterranean countries to bring low-skilled laborers to contribute to the exploitation of the coal mines in Belgium. When the Italian government became concerned about it citizens' safety after a few deadly accidents, Belgium decided to recruit "guest workers" from other nations in 1956. Diversity throughout the nation of Belgium and especially in the capital Brussels became much more widespread. Migrant laborers arrived from various different countries such as Turkey, Yugoslavia, Spain, Tunisia, Greece, Algeria, and Morocco. Interestingly, Belgium did not bring in guest workers from their protectorates of Rwanda and Burundi. Furthermore, Belgium did not recruit guest workers from Zaire (currently known as the Democratic Republic of Congo) its prized African colony. In the 1960s, there was a wave of immigrants from Morocco that came to Belgium, most of whom resettled in Brussels. Low-skilled migrant workers continued be the dominant immigrant populations in Brussels. In the 1970s, family members of guest workers followed suit and also chose to make their journey to Brussels and other parts of Belgium. The Belgian Government decided to put a halt to immigration from non-European countries in 1974, and this brought a temporary end to demand for cheap guest worker labor in Brussels and the entire nation of Belgium.

From 1974 to Present
In 1974, there was an extreme shift in guest worker migration and this was directly related to the decisions made by the Council of Ministers. According to Marco Martiniello, the Council of Ministers decided to 1) stop all new guest workers from entering the country, 2) they restricted clandestine immigration, and 3) the Council of Ministers also granted legal status to many illegal immigrants . After 1974, immigrants continued to arrive in Brussels at a slower pace, however, these immigrants were either students, alyssum seekers, refugees, illegal immigrants, or migrants from other EU member states. Foreign migrants were still able to relocate to cities throughout Belgium, particularly Belgium and Antwerp, even with the cut back on the demand for guest workers. Immigration to Brussels more often than not was made possible by family during this period especially for guest worker families that arrived in the 1960s and early 1970s. Guest workers that arrived during the 1960s until mid 1970s, were able to bring their loved ones into Brussels to finally reunite. Between 1981 and 1991, the foreign population in Brussels was over 30%

In 1999, the Belgian Government again planned to regularize foreign immigrants. This plan was initiated because a young girl from Nigeria named Semira Adamu died of suffocation while being deported from Belgium by Belgian authorities. As a result, on December 22, 1999, alien residents living in Belgian territory were able to apply for status as full legal residents. Over 36,000 applications were submitted during the first wave of the regularization campaign by Belgian authorities. Of the applications submitted, 140 different nationalities were represented. Most of these applicants were immigrants from either Morocco or the Democratic Republic of Congo. Immigrants in Belgium often live in areas where inexpensive housing options are available and most abundant. Immigrant neighborhoods are still quite visible throughout Brussels, Belgium. According to Kesteloot and Meert, if immigrants are able to become economically integrated then they will also become socially integrated much faster and smoother. However, Meert and Kesteloot concluded that the most deprived areas of Brussels were in the dense immigrant quarters of the city, specifically in Turkish and Moroccan neighborhoods. In Brussels, immigrants still face trouble with economic integration and social mobility and as a result, social integration has not been an easy process.

In 2004, Poland became a part of the European Union and this worked in the favor of Polish citizens who hoped to find work in Brussels, Belgium. The Polish immigrant community is now one of the largest foreign communities in Brussels. According to Statistica, there were 71,457 Poles in Belgium in 2017. In 2009, the labor market in Belgium was entirely opened to all EU citizens and this boosted the employment of Poles throughout Belgium. The great job opportunities for Poles in Belgium has motivated them to stay permanently to benefit their families for the long-term. Poles believe that by establishing a stable home emotionally, physically, and financially that their children will thrive in school and thus become successful in Belgium. This is the same for other immigrant communities as well. A rigorous and fruitful education is perceived by immigrant parents to be the key to a child's future and social integration.

Important Immigration Statistics
According to the official government website, in 2016 there were 11,267,910 people living in Belgium. Among this large population, 1,057,666 residents in Belgium are not native Belgians, most of these residents are immigrants from other EU nations, primarily from three countries France, Netherlands, and Italy. 164,410 immigrants were French, 153,736 were Dutch, and there were 156,726 Italian immigrants in Belgium. At least 62% of the population in Brussels come from foreign countries and around 31% of residents in Belgium claim a foreign nationality. According to the CIA World FactBook, there are currently six major ethnic groups in Belgium, 75% are ethnically Belgian, 3.7% are Moroccan, 4.1% are Italian, 2% are Turkish, 2% are Dutch, and 2.4% are French. In 2017, there were 82,586 Moroccans and 36,167 Turks living in Belgium. Furthermore, another 433,665 residents in Belgium were also foreigners. Brussels and Antwerp of course have attracted most of these immigrant populations, as these two cities are very prominent since they offer some of Belgium's best education, healthcare, employment, and housing opportunities. Belgium's total population is growing rapidly and this is partly due to immigration. From 2007 to 2017, Belgium's total population gained over 700,000 new residents and its forecasted to grow even faster in the next decade. The city of Brussels will also witness large growth, especially in and around its urban core and more importantly, Belgians can expect that immigrants will play a much more vital role in society.