In 2022, 48,482 individuals gained Belgian nationality, up by 24% from 2021 but still lower than the early 21st-century peak, according to a report by Myria, the federal migration centre.
Three quarters of those who acquire Belgian nationality come from non-EU countries, totalling 36,233 people. Moroccans form the majority of new Belgians, accounting for 10% of the total (4,842).
Syria (3,615), Iraq (2,001) and Afghanistan (1,979) were the next top countries of origin. There was an impressive surge in Turks gaining Belgian nationality (1,797) – a record high since the revision of the Belgian Nationality Code (BNC).
One in four new Belgians originated from EU Member States (12,249). Romania far surpassed other countries in the bloc with 2,791 people, followed by Poland (1,727), Italy (1,536) and the Netherlands (1,433).
Myria voiced concerns that children's rights were not always sufficiently recognised in nationality acquisition and loss procedures, particularly in refusals made by Public Prosecutors. It recommended a clause in the BNC to prioritise children's interests in all nationality awarding and revoking processes.
In addition, Myria emphasised that, in line with the Constitutional Court, imposing written language competency requirements on illiterate individuals to become Belgian is discriminatory. It therefore urged the Federal Government to promptly amend provisions for illiterate individuals in the BNC.
