A recruitment drive in Belgium's Immigration Office in response to the migrant reception crisis has led to a surge in the number of civil servants, De Standaard reports.
After a recent decline in the number of Federal civil servants, a new wave of 500 recruits has significantly increased the workforce, which has since risen to 79,801 employees. With this new increase, there are now as many civil servants as five years ago.
According to Deputy Prime Minister Petra De Sutter, this is not only a result of additional recruitment at the Foreigners Office, but also at FPS Finances. Numerous staff have been hired within the context of strengthening the port of Antwerp against organised drug smuggling.
Christian labour union ACV-CSC recognises the efforts made by the government to boost recruitment but says that there is more work to be done. “There are still many vacancies that are not filled,” said Johan Lippens, union coordinator for the Federal Government.
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According to Chris Reniers, vice president of the socialists CGSP-ACOD union for federal services, the government is starting to recognise that years of budget cuts have started to weaken them.
Others are less convinced by the increase in federal employment. Labour economist Stijn Baert says that the new hires still come within the context of Federal efforts to “make the government even lighter.”
