The number of long-stay visas issued by Belgian authorities to third-country nationals for professional reasons has increased by 6% compared to the record year of 2022, reaching 8,629 visas.
The main beneficiaries are Turks (19%), Indians (19%), Moroccans (6%), and Tunisians (6%), according to data from the federal migration centre, Myria.
Figures on posted workers were also released on Monday. Within the European Union, individuals working in one Member State can be posted to another country to execute a service contract, regardless of their nationality, explained the government migration centre.
The number of these types of workers has been decreasing overall since 2017. In total, 209,721 people were posted to Belgium last year under the free movement of services, a decrease of 2% compared to 2022.
These workers are primarily EU citizens (77%), but the proportion of third-country nationals has risen significantly (22% in 2023 compared to 9% in 2017).
Myria notes that the recent increase in postings from countries like Poland, Portugal, and Lithuania is mainly down to the growing number of third-country nationals (such as Ukrainians, Belarusians, and Brazilians) posted from these countries.
The group of third-country nationals has become increasingly diverse over the years. Recently, there has been a significant rise in the number of posted workers from Caucasian or Central Asian countries (Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Uzbekistan).
Among the workers posted to Belgium, 38% are active in construction, 11% in metallurgy, 5% in electrical installations, 4% in petrochemicals, 1% in meat processing, and 1% in ICT.
