(Un)desirable immigration? Belgian family reunification policy until 1980

This book is describing the origins of the Belgian family reunification policy and its evolution until 1980. It is the first historical monograph about family reunification in Belgium and it has received the price of the Fetullah Gülen Chair for Intercultural Studies (GCIS).

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The study in this book is giving special attention to the origins of the family reunification policy, to the actors and factors that were influencing the policy and to the problematization of family reunification. The historic evolutions are compared with the present framework concerning family reunification.

Family reunification has often been presented as a practice dating from after the labour immigration stop of 1974. It was indeed the most important form of migration during the 1970ies. However, the phenomenon has already existed since the end of the 1920ies. One of the most important conclusions of the study is that family reunification was already influencing migration policy before the 1970ies.

Author: Alexandra Lens

Publication Date:
Thu 11 Sep 2014
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