Myria has released its first comprehensive mapping of quantitative data on minor victims of human trafficking and aggravated forms of smuggling in Belgium. The report aims to provide a clearer statistical basis for understanding the situation of minors at risk, while also highlighting structural gaps in current data collection and sharing practices.
Main Theme: Vulnerable groups, Data & Statistics, Smuggling & Trafficking
Keywords: victim of trafficking, victim of smuggling, minor, data collection, figures
Flanders granted around 21.460 work permits to non-EU nationals in 2025, the highest level in recent years. Seasonal work and medium- to high-skilled positions accounted for a large share of the permits. New rules introduced in January 2026 give priority to domestic and EU labour before non-EU recruitment. Stakeholders, including employer organisations and political parties, have expressed differing perspectives on these developments.
Main Theme: Data & Statistics, Economic migration
Keywords: Flanders, work permit, single permit, third-country nationals, seasonal work, shortage occupation
According to Statbel, the Belgian statistical office, 5.925 persons obtained Belgian nationality in September 2025. The main countries of origin of people who acquired Belgian nationality in September are Morocco, Romania, Syria, Poland and Italy.
Main Theme: Data & Statistics, Citizenship & Nationality
Keywords: Belgian nationality, access to nationality
According to Statbel, the Belgian statistical office, 4.859 persons obtained Belgian nationality in August 2025. The main countries of origin of people who acquired Belgian nationality in August are Morocco, Syria, Romania, Poland and France.
Main Theme: Data & Statistics, Citizenship & Nationality
Keywords: access to nationality, Belgian nationality
According to Statbel, the Belgian statistical office, 6.535 persons obtained Belgian nationality in July 2025. The main countries of origin of people who acquired Belgian nationality in July are Morocco, Romania, Syria, Turkey and Afghanistan.
Main Theme: Data & Statistics, Citizenship & Nationality
Keywords: Belgian nationality, access to nationality
According to Statbel, the Belgian statistical office, 5.523 persons obtained Belgian nationality in June 2025. The main countries of origin of people who acquired Belgian nationality in June are Morocco, Syria, Romania, Italy and Turkey.
Main Theme: Data & Statistics, Citizenship & Nationality
Keywords: access to nationality, Belgian nationality
Eurostat data show that in 2024, the EU issued 3.5 million first residence permits to non-EU citizens, marking an 8.3% decrease compared with 2023, which had recorded the highest number to date. Employment remained the main reason for granting residence permits, while student permits continued to increase slightly.
Main Theme: Data & Statistics, Asylum, Migration
Keywords: Eurostat, first residence permit
Asylum applications in EU+ countries fell by nearly a quarter in the first half of 2025, according to the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA). A sharp decline in requests from Syrians, following political change in the country, shifted the profile of applicants across Europe. Venezuelans became the largest group seeking protection, while Germany lost its position as the main destination country. Recognition rates reached a record low, reflecting procedural factors and changes in applicant composition.
According to Statbel, the Belgian statistical office, 4.923 persons obtained Belgian nationality in May 2025. The main countries of origin of people who acquired Belgian nationality in May are Morocco, Romania, Syria, Turkey and Italy.
Main Theme: Data & Statistics, Citizenship & Nationality
Keywords: access to nationality, Belgian nationality
According to Statbel, the Belgian statistical office, 5.336 persons obtained Belgian nationality in April 2025. The main countries of origin of people who acquired Belgian nationality in April are Morocco, Romania, Syria, France and Turkey.
Main Theme: Data & Statistics, Citizenship & Nationality
Keywords: access to nationality, Belgian nationality
Myria has published the first thematic section of its 2025 annual report. This section, entitled "Population and movements", reveals that foreign nationals made up over 13% of the Belgian population as of 1 January 2024. Immigration from Romania, France and Ukraine was particularly high. The report also details key trends in foreign residence permits, demographic profiles and migratory flows.
Main Theme: Data & Statistics, Asylum, Migration
Keywords: migrant population, immigration, emigration, first residence permit, temporary protection
Nearly one in eight self-employed workers in Belgium do not hold Belgian nationality. This proportion rises to more than four in ten in the Brussels-Capital Region. An analysis of recent data from the National Institute for Social Security of the Self-Employed (INASTI) by the social insurance fund Acerta highlights these figures. The study also reveals differences in age, sector activity, and income between Belgian and non-Belgian self-employed individuals.
Main Theme: Integration, Data & Statistics, Economic migration
Keywords: self-employed, Belgian, non-Belgian
According to Statbel, the Belgian statistical office, 5.539 persons obtained Belgian nationality in March 2025. The main countries of origin of people who acquired Belgian nationality in March are Morocco, Romania, Syria, Turkey and Afghanistan.
Main Theme: Data & Statistics, Citizenship & Nationality
Keywords: access to nationality, Belgian nationality
As of 1 January 2025, more than one-third of Belgium’s population has a foreign background, according to the latest data from Statbel, the Belgian statistical office. While 64% of residents are Belgian with a Belgian background, the remainder includes Belgians with a foreign background and non-Belgians. Regional disparities and changes over the last two decades highlight evolving demographic patterns.
Main Theme: Data & Statistics, Citizenship & Nationality
Keywords: population structure, diversity, Belgian nationality, foreign background, non-Belgian
According to a press release published on 11 June 2025, Statbel reported that 60.108 individuals acquired Belgian nationality in 2024. The five most common previous nationalities among those who became Belgian were Moroccan, Syrian, Romanian, Afghan and Turkish.
Main Theme: Data & Statistics, Citizenship & Nationality
Keywords: access to nationality, Belgian nationality
Eurostat released trafficking in human beings statistics, revealing that 10.793 victims were registered in the EU in 2023, an increase of 6.9% compared with 2022 and the highest recorded value in the period 2008-2023. Several countries explained that it is partly reflected through increased attention of the authorities and agencies that fight against trafficking in human beings.
Main Theme: Data & Statistics
Keywords: victims of human trafficking, trafficker, forced labour
According to recent data released by Eurostat, 124.935 non-EU citizens were ordered to leave an EU country, and 28.630 persons were returned to third countries following an order to leave. When compared with the same quarter of 2023, the number of non-EU citizens ordered to leave went up by 16.3%, while the number of people returned to third countries increased by 24.3%.
Main Theme: Data & Statistics
Keywords: order to leave the territory, voluntary return, forced return, irregularly staying third-country national
According to new data released by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), at least 8.938 persons have died or gone missing on migration routes in 2024, marking the deadliest year on record. This continues a five-year trend of increasing fatalities, surpassing the previous high of 8.747 deaths recorded in 2023.
Main Theme: Data & Statistics
Keywords: Missing Migrants Project, migrant death
According to Statbel, the Belgian statistical office, 4.370 persons obtained Belgian nationality in December 2024. The main countries of origin of people who acquired Belgian nationality in December are Morocco, Syria, Romania, Afghanistan and France.
Main Theme: Data & Statistics
Keywords: access to nationality, Belgian nationality
In 2023, 1.050.100 people obtained citizenship of the EU country of their usual residence, an increase of 6.1% compared with 2022. This was mainly the result of increases in absolute terms in Spain (58.600 more residents were granted Spanish citizenship than in 2022), followed by Germany (33.200 more) and Belgium (6.700 more)
Main Theme: Data & Statistics
Keywords: acquisition of citizenship, naturalisation rate
Since the start of the war in Ukraine, Belgium has granted temporary protection to 93.343 Ukrainians, with a sharp decline beginning in 2023 and continuing into 2024 and early 2025. As the number of arrivals has slowed and the focus shifts to integration efforts, both the Flemish and Walloon governments plan to gradually reduce reception capacity for beneficiaries of temporary protection in the coming months.
Main Theme: Data & Statistics, Temporary protection
Keywords: temporary protection, beneficiary of temporary protection, accommodation
According to Statbel, the Belgian statistical office, 4.276 persons obtained Belgian nationality in November 2024. The main countries of origin of people who acquired Belgian nationality in November are Morocco, Syria, Romania, Afghanistan and Turkey.
Main Theme: Data & Statistics
Keywords: access to nationality, Belgian nationality
According to Statbel, the Belgian statistical office, 5.140 persons obtained Belgian nationality in October 2024. The main countries of origin of people who acquired Belgian nationality in October are Morocco, Syria, Romania, Afghanistan and Italy.
Main Theme: Data & Statistics
Keywords: access to nationality, Belgian nationality
"Migration and asylum in Europe" allows to explore, visualise and compare indicators on migration and asylum at the EU and country levels. Key data and trends are proposed on topics such as population diversity, protection and asylum, irregular migration and return, and skills of migrants.
Main Theme: Data & Statistics
Keywords: migration trend, asylum trend
According to Statbel, the Belgian statistical office, 4.048 persons obtained Belgian nationality in August 2024. The main countries of origin of people who acquired Belgian nationality in August are Morocco, Romania, Syria, Italy and France.