A record number of people are enrolled in Dutch language courses in Belgium, De Zondag and VRT report.
Last year saw a total of 77,951 non-native speakers signing up for Dutch as a second language course.
Around 12,100 newcomers were obliged to learn Dutch as part of their integration pathway. This is mandatory for anyone immigrating from outside the European Union and wishing to settle in Flanders, Belgium’s Dutch-speaking region.
Most enrollees, therefore, registered voluntarily. According to Jo De Ro, the director of the Integration Agency, the figures contradict the stereotype that people living in Flanders, not speaking Dutch, show no interest in learning the language.
“These individuals aspire to better understand their colleagues, monitor their children’s educational progress more closely, engage with their neighbours, and truly become citizens of Flanders,” he stated.
