Applicants for international protection in Belgium are granted access to the labour market four months after submitting their application. While working, they continue to benefit from reception conditions and contribute financially to their stay in the reception network.

Thanks to a data linkage with the Crossroads Bank for Social Security, a clearer and more detailed picture of their labour market participation is now available. For the first time, it is possible to identify the number of residents who were active, as well as their profiles and employment patterns.

According to Fedasil, nearly 25.000 residents were professionally active in 2024, representing a little over four in ten residents of working age. Participation varied across different groups, as highlighted below:

• Gender: The employment rate among men (47%) was nearly twice as high as that among women (24%), regardless of parental status.

• Age: Residents aged 18 to 31 were twice as likely to work as those aged 51 to 67. Less than 2% of residents aged over 67 were active on the labour market.

• Family situation: Parents were less likely to be employed than those without children. Limited access to childcare may contribute to this disparity.

• Nationality: Residents from eight African countries, including Burkina Faso, Uganda, and Burundi, were among the most active on the labour market.

• Language: Proficiency in French and/or English appeared to facilitate access to employment.

For further details, please read the press release from Fedasil.