Alien Policy in Belgium, 1840-1940 The Creation of Guest Workers, Refugees and Illegal Aliens

Belgium has a unique place in the history of migration in that it was the first among industrialized nations in Continental Europe to develop into an immigrant society. In the 19th century Italians, Jews, Poles, Czechs, and North Africans settled in Belgium to work in industry and commerce. They were followed by Russians in the 1920s and Germans in the 1930s who were seeking a safe haven from persecution by totalitarian regimes. In the 19th century immigrants were to a large extent integrated into Belgian society. This changed radically in the 20th century: by 1940 the rights of aliens were severely curtailed, while those of Belgian citizens, in particular in the social domain, were extended.This remarkable study examines in depth and over a long time span how (anti-)alien policies were transformed, resulting in an illiberal exclusion of foreigners at the same time as democratization and the welfare state expanded. In this respect Belgium is certainly not unique but offers an interesting case study of developments that are characteristic for Europe as a whole.Caestecker, Frank is the author of 'Alien Policy in Belgium, 1840-1940 The Creation of Guest Workers, Refugees and Illegal Aliens' with ISBN 9781571819864 and ISBN 157181986X.