Myria, the Federal Migration Centre, releases the 2024 annual report “Migration in figures and rights” in several thematic notebooks. On 30 September 2024, the fourth thematic section entitled "Economic migration, free movement and students" was published, highlighting, among other things, the following conclusions relating to the posting of workers:

• 209.721 persons were posted to Belgium in 2023. These are mainly EU citizens (77%), but the share of third-country nationals is increasing significantly (22% in 2023 compared to 9% in 2017).
   
• The recent increase in postings from sending countries such as Poland, Portugal and Lithuania is mainly explained by the growing number of third-country nationals (such as Ukrainians, Belarusians and Brazilians) posted from these countries.
   
• There has recently been a significant increase in the number of posted workers of Caucasian or Central Asian nationality (Azerbaijan, Georgia and Uzbekistan).
   
• Posted workers from third countries are more vulnerable to exploitation than EU-based posted workers. Therefore, they urgently need increased legal protection.

The above-mentioned thematic section further highlights that labour migration from non-EU countries has stabilised in 2023. In 2023, both long-stay visas granted to third-country nationals for professional reasons (+6% in 2023 compared to 2022) and single permits (+4% in 2023 compared to 2022) showed a very slight increase.

For further details, please read the press release from Myria in French or in Dutch and read the thematic section on "Economic migration, free movement and students" in French or in Dutch.