Migration. A word that, in public debate, makes people react immediately. What image comes to mind most often? An overloaded boat in the Mediterranean. Much less frequently, we think of the expatriate who is building an international career or the caregiver who, every day, does essential work.
However, all these routes are part of migration. Migrants are not a homogeneous group, they are very different people, with varied backgrounds, backgrounds and reasons for settling elsewhere.
Migration is often surrounded by preconceived ideas. To see more clearly, let's discover three facts that change the way we look at this reality.
✅ Migration does not reduce professional opportunities for the local population
Experts agree that migration does not create more competition in the job market and does not lead to increased unemployment for the local population. Moreover, in 2020, the National Bank noted that it does not affect the wages or well-being of non-migrant workers (1).
Migrants also contribute to the economy as consumers, which stimulates activity and promotes job creation. They are also more often self-employed entrepreneurs than people with a non-migrant background, which results in new businesses and additional jobs (2).
✅ Migration helps to compensate for the aging of the population
Migration is increasing all over the world, especially as a result of globalization. However, we often have an exaggerated idea of the number of migrants in our country. Out of ten inhabitants, eight are Belgian by birth, one has a foreign nationality and one is of foreign origin but has been naturalized. More than half of foreign residents come from Europe (3).
Each year, more people enter the country than leave, which increases the population despite the decrease in births. The Belgian population is aging rapidly, while migrants are mostly of working age. Without them, the ratio between the working population and the elderly population would be much lower, which would further increase the financial pressure on pensions (4)
✅ Migration makes a positive contribution to public finances
Almost half of Belgians (48%) think that migrants use social and health services more than they contribute through taxes (2). The numbers show the opposite. The National Bank of Belgium has thus shown that migration increases GDP per inhabitant by 0.7%, with a positive impact both for migrants of European origin and for those coming from other regions of the world (1).
As the migrant population is younger, it is more represented among the working population and less present among pensioners. However, pensions and health care together represent a significant burden for social security (10.7% of GDP is spent on pensions). (2)
The costs associated with welcoming migrants are often overestimated: they represent around 0.14% of total public expenditure and, at the same time, stimulate economic activity by promoting employment. In addition, almost half of asylum seekers work and thus contribute to taxes and social security (2).
Conclusion
Migration is an essential part of a healthy and future-oriented economy. Migrants form a diverse and growing group: in Belgium, around half are European citizens, the other half come from third countries. Their presence contributes to mitigating the effects of an aging population, strengthening the economy, and supporting job creation and innovation.
However, a significant portion of these talents remains unused. Migrants are generally young, and therefore of working age, but they are also more likely to be looking for work or in precarious jobs. These are valuable resources that are still too often overlooked, despite the fact that they represent considerable potential within the working population.
At DUO for a JOB, we have supported more than 10,000 young people with immigration from outside the EU, to reveal their potential and allow them to access concrete professional opportunities. 70% of them (re) find, thanks to our program, the path to work. Mentoring helps remove barriers to employment and ensure that these talents find their place in the workforce.
Facilitating access to employment for migrants is not only socially just, but also contributes to the sustainable strengthening of public finances.
sourcing
- National Bank of Belgium (2020). The economic impact of immigration in Belgium.
- Lafleur, J.M., & Marfouk, A. (2017). Why immigration? 21 questions that Belgians ask themselves about international migration in the 21st century. Academia-L'Harmattan, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.
- Myria (2025). Migration in figures and rights. Population and movements
- Higher Financial Council (2025) Study Committee on Aging. Annual Report.
