The number of infringement cases for non-EU nationals who fail to comply with mandatory integration requirements in Flanders decreased slightly; those who did fail to meet these requirements received bigger fines.
People from outside the EU who settle in Flanders are (subject to their residency status) required to follow a mandatory integration programme which includes Dutch lessons and learning about Belgian values. Whilst critics say the programmes "Westernise" non-Belgians, authorities stress that the core purpose of these programmes is to help people to integrate with daily life in Belgium.
Failing to undergo the mandatory programme triggers an infringement procedure, which can come with sanctions. Without a valid reason for not doing the course, individuals face fines or having social benefits cut unless.
Last year, authorities lodged a total of 1,175 infringements against newcomers who failed to comply with their mandatory integration requirements, data published by Integration Minister, Gwendolyn Rutten (Open VLD) showed. This marks a slight decrease from 1,223 in 2022, which in turn was 25% less than in 2021.
Fines ranging from €100 to €5,000
In most cases, the individuals concerned had not attended all the classes, had enrolled late, or refused to sign the integration contract. Of the files that have been decided on (1,049), no action was taken for 240 cases.
This indicates that the infringement file was either unjustified (for example, because it turned out the person was not obliged to follow the programme) or the file could not be dealt with (because the person in question had been removed from the national register in the meantime), Rutten explained.
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While the number of cases fell slightly, the number of fines handed out significantly increased from 389 in 2022 to 494 in 2023. The total value of the fines also rose from €168,475 in 2022 to €248,000 in 2023.
The majority of fines were under €600 but 54 individuals were fined €750 (30 in 2022), and nine were fined €5,000 (just three in 2022).
