Immigrantcitizensurvey jacobs

IMMIGRANTCITIZENSFocus on the Belgian results

Dirk JACOBS Louise CALLIER

Faculty of Social and Political Sciences – ULBGroupe de recherche sur les Relations Ethniques, les Migrations et l’Egalité (GERME)Institut de Sociologie

[email protected]

Technical information

- Survey among citizens of non-EU origin born outside of Belgium (N=1027)

- Cities of Brussels (n=413), Antwerp (n=318) and Liège (n=296)

Goal: assess how immigrants experience access to and use of rights aimed at integration

(fields: nationality, long term residence, family reunification, labour market, political participation)

- Technique of random walk and focused enumeration in 10+% statistical wards, response rate of 37%

- Multiple languages used

- Data-collection at the end of 2011 by IPSoS Belgium

General characteristics

Antwerp sample (N=318)

54% men

19,6% arrived before age of 16

66% foreigner, 34% Belgian

22% entered as refugees

41% has difficulty to cope financially

Wide diversity of origins (51 countries)

Origin biggest groups in sample:

- 29,1% Moroccan origin

- 15,2% Turkish origin


Brussels sample (N=413)

62% men

24,5% arrived before age of 16

40% non Belgian, 60% Belgian


42,7% has difficulty to cope financially


Origin three biggest groups:

-45,3% Moroccan origin

-12,4% Congolese origin

-11,6% Turkish origin


Liège sample (N=296)

62,5% men

29,8 % arrived before age of 16

55% foreigner, 45% Belgian


56,3% has difficulty to cope financially


Origin three biggest groups:

-Moroccan origin 27,8%

-Congolese origin 10,5%

-Turkish origin 9,8%

SATISFACTION LEVELS

Self rating on scale from 0 to 10

Items:

-Current life-Educational level-Job-Housing-Family life-Health-Social life

Results:

- Overall fairly satisfied with different fields of life- Similar general results in three cities- A bit less satisfied, however, than general population (EQLS 2007)

SATISFACTION WITH LEVEL OF EDUCATION

Regression analysis taking into account Belgian national (or not), arrived less than five years (or not), region of origin, gender, in paid work (or not) and arrived as refugee (or not)

Statistically significant effects (controlling for other effects):

Antwerp: - no particular effect

Brussels: - those who do not speak the official languages are less satisfied- those who speak more languages are more satisfied

Liège:- Those in paid work more satisfied than those without a job

8

SATISFACTION WITH JOB SITUATION

Regression analysis taking into account level of education, Belgian national (or not), arrived less than five years (or not), region of origin, gender and arrived as refugee (or not)


Antwerp: - Latin American immigrants less satisfied- Women more satisfied than men

Brussels: - no significant effect

Liège:- Newcomers (less than five years in the country) less satisfied- Women less satisfied than men- Migrants holding Belgian nationality more satisfied- Refugees less satisfied

9

SATISFACTION WITH HOUSING


Antwerp: - Newcomers (less than five years in the country) less satisfied- Refugees less satisfied

Brussels: - Refugees less satisfied - Migrants holding Belgian nationality more satisfied- Subsahara African , North African and Latin American migrants less satisfied

Liège:-Migrants holding Belgian nationality more satisfied

10

SATISFACTION WITH FAMILY LIFE


Antwerp: - Subsahara Africans less satisfied

Brussels: -Migrants holding Belgian nationality more satisfied

Liège:-Migrants holding Belgian nationality more satisfied- Refugees less satisfied- Those in paid work more satisfied

11

SATISFACTION WITH HEALTH


Antwerp: - The more educated, the more satisfied

Brussels: -The more educated, the more satisfied- Newcomers (less than five year in country) more satisfied- Refugees more satisfied

Liège:-Women less satisfied- Those who speak more languages, more satisfied

12

SATISFACTION WITH SOCIAL LIFE


Antwerp: - Newcomers (less than five years in country) less satisifed- North African migrants more satisfied than other groups- Migrants holding Belgian nationality less satisfied

Brussels: - Migrants holding Belgian nationality more satisfied- The more languages one speaks, the more satisfied

Liège:- North African migrants more satisfied than other groups- Women less satisfied than men- Those who do not speak French more satisfied

ACCESS TO NATIONALITY

-Ever applied? (Brussels: 71,5% ; Antwerp 47,1% ; Liège 63,7%)

Logistic regression shows no impact of education level in BrusselsAntwerp: lower educated apply less for Belgian nationalityLiège: higher educated apply less for Belgian nationality

-Foreigners still wanting to become BelgianAntwerp 71,1%, Brussels 61%, Liège 70%

WHO DOES NOT WANT TO BECOME BELGIAN?Migrants who do not expect to stay in Belgium Migrants who do not see the added value

- Relatively high perceived benefits and high expectations (positive for getting a job, more local involvement, feel to be part of society)

Seen as key to integration

PROBLEMS WITH PROCEDURE (NATIONALITY)

-> problems with documents

24% Antwerp, 21% Brussels, 20% Liège (no particular pattern)

-> problems with requirement

22,3% Antwerp, 7,8% Brussels, 14,4% Liège (refugees more likely to complain in Antwerp and Brussels)

-> too much discretionary power

25,7% Antwerp, 16,6% Brussels, 22% Liège (no gender effect in BXL, in Antwerp and Liège men more likely to complain ; In Antwerp refugees up to 7 times more likely to complain)

-> did not understand procedure

13,8% Antwerp, 11,1% Brussels, 11,6% Liège (no particular pattern)

PROBLEMS WITH LONG TERM RESIDENCE

35% of respondents in Antwerp, 24% in Brussels and 36% in Liège have had experience with a procedure for long term residence

-A substantial part had problems with documents:Antwerp 42,7%, Brussels 27%, Liège 31,6% (more than in any other studied city)

-Problems with requirements?Antwerp 28,7%, Brussels 24,3%, Liège 30,9% (no particular pattern)

-Problems with too much discretionary power?Antwerp 42,2%, Brussels 25,2%, Liège 23,8% (more than in any other studied city)(in Antwerp higher educated more likely to complain)

-Did not understand procedure?Antwerp 26,3%, Brussels 18,9%, Liège 22,1% (no particular pattern)

LONG TERM RESIDENCE

Rejections?

Antwerp 7,2%Brussels 6,3%Liège 6%

Relatively high perceived benefits

-socio-professional insertion-local involvement-sense of belonging

FAMILY REUNION

-Problems with documents?Antwerp 18,5, Brussels 25,8%, Liège 25% (no particular pattern)

-Problems with requirements?Antwerp 11,1%, Brussels 6,5%, Liège 37,5% (in Liège refugees complain more about this)

-Too much discretionary power?Antwerp 15,4%, Brussels 12,9%, Liège 25% (no particular pattern)

-Did not understand procedure?Antwerp 14,8%, Brussels 6,5%, Liège 16,7% (no particular pattern)

- Relatively high perceived benefits (for family life but also for socio-professional inclusion, local involvement and sense of belonging)

LANGUAGE AND INTEGRATION

-Most migrants are polyglots (in all sorts of combinations, often up to four languages, more than the average citizen)

-In Antwerp 70,4% says to master well Dutch, 39% French and 44% English

-In Brussels 89% says to master well French, 15% Dutch and 33% English

-In Liège 89% says to master well French, 11,5% Dutch and 38% English

- Among job seekers 35% in Antwerp, 34% in Brussels and 30% in Liège mention insufficient language skills as a problem to find a job (in Brussels and Liège this is particularly the case for refugees)

- Problems for learning an additional language

Time problem:21,4% Antwerp27,1% Brussels25,9% Liège

Too expensive:15,8% Antwerp13,7% Brussels19,7% Liège

Problem of information:16,4% Antwerp19,5% Brussels18,7% Liège

No motivation:16,8% Antwerp19,9% Brussels24,5% Liège

LANGUAGE AND INTEGRATION

-Attended language/integration course?

40% in Antwerp, 19,3% in Brussels, 22,6% in Liège59,9% not in Antwerp, 80,7% not in Brussels, 77,4% not in Liège

WHO MORE LIKELY TO ATTEND?- Newcomers and refugees in Antwerp (legal obligation)- Women in Liège

-Assessment benefits course?

4,9% no use in Antwerp, 5,3% no use in Brussels, 6,8% no use in Liège

LABOUR MARKET SITUATION

Antwerp 43% in paid jobBrussels 51% in paid jobLiège 36% in paid job

Antwerp: 53,4% private sector, 23,2% public sector, 8,9% self-employedBrussels: 48,1% private sector, 13,5% public sector, 29,3% self employedLiège: 40% private sector, 20% public sector, 28,6% self employed

% self employed in Brussels and Liège much higher than in other cities (also internationaly)

Logistic regressions shows that in Liège migrants without Belgian citizenship are more likely to be self employed

In Brussels men, East-Europeans (outside EU) and higher educated more likely to be self employed

Overqualification among the employed

35,7% in Antwerp, 29,2% in Brussels, 15,5% in Liège

Problems finding a job because of non recognition qualifications

33,5% in Antwerp, 37,4% in Brussels, 41% in Liège

Holders of a foreign degree in 69% of the cases in Antwerp and in 65% of the cases in Brussels and Liège did not ask for recognition

Among those who did apply, the refusal rate was 28% in Antwerp, 8% in Brussels and 16% in Liège

Just as in other countries, migrants should hence be encouraged to ask for recognition

-Stuck in temporary jobs?31,6% in Antwerp, 43% in Brussels, 40% in Liège

(no particular pattern, problem for all profiles)

-Not being offered a legal contract?16% in Antwerp, 29% in Brussels, 28% in Liège

(more likely for non-EU eastern European in Brussels and migrants who don’t speak French in Liège)

-Problems of discrimination in recruitment?24% in Antwerp, 41% in Brussels, 44% in Liège

In all three cities men more likely to suffer from discrimination at recruitement than women

In Antwerp Subsahara African report significantly more problems than other groups

In Liège highly educated report significantly more problems

POLITICAL AND CIVIC INCLUSION

-Political membership?Antwerp 7,6%, Brussels 9,8%, Liège 3%-Trade Union membership?Antwerp 11,8%, Brussels 19,6%, Liège 19,9%-Member immigrant or ethnic organisation?Antwerp 11%, Brussels 13,5%, Liège 5,7%-Membership other organisationsAntwerp 19,2%, Brussels 24,8%, 17,2% Liège-Knowledge of immigrant led ngo?Antwerp 27,6%, Brussels 39,9%, 15% Liège-Knowledge of advisory board?Antwerp 14,3%, Brussels 12,7%-Knowledge of regional consultative body?Antwerp 5,5%, Brussels 14%

POLITICAL AND CIVIC INCLUSION

-Would go voting?Antwerp 71,7%, Brussels 78,4%, Liège 76,5%

-Did go voting national election? (Belgians)Antwerp 86%, Brussels 82,9%, Liège 76,4%

Non-EU migrants could register to vote in 2006 elections if residing five years in the country

In 2006 in Antwerp 12,20% registered to vote, in Brussels (Region) 15,6% and in Liège 26,9% (official data Ministry of the Interior)

To participate in the 2012 upcoming elections, non-EU migrants not holding Belgian citizenship and residing for over 5 years in Belgium, should register to vote before the 1st of August

Of all non-Belgians in our sample who in 2006 were eligible to vote (n=94 in Antwerp, n=98 in Brussels and n=41 in Liège), this percentage said they went to vote:

3,2% in Antwerp 20,5% in Brussels22% in Liège

The percentage of those who thought they were not entitled to vote was:

16% in Antwerp4% in Brussels7% in Liège

These figures reflect differential efforts of the local and regional authorities in 2006 to inform immigrants of their rights (individualised letters in Brussels, no government led Flemish information campaign and a state sponsored general campaign in Wallonia)

-Why no use of local voting rights (non-voters)?

Not interested 48% Antwerp, 21% Brussels, 24% Liège

Not interested in politics 40,8% Antwerp, 20,8% Brussels, 44%

Liège

Not close to a particular party36,2% Antwerp, 20,8% Brussels, 43,5%

Liège

Makes no difference 55% Antwerp, 14% Brussels, 36% Liège

Procedure to hard 43% Antwerp, 4% Brussels, 40% Liège