Belgium to regularize status of illegal migrants

ILLEGAL immigrant workers of Filipino and other nationalities got a break from the Belgian government which last week approved a pact for the regularization of undocumented migrants.

The decision was announced by Belgian Prime Minister Herman Van Rompuy last week, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) reported Friday.

There are at least 2,500 illegal Filipino migrants in Belgium, DFA records show.

According to the Commission on Filipinos Overseas data, there are around 9,700 Filipinos in Belgium, mostly working in the health and services sectors.

“With the approval of regularization, undocumented Filipinos now have the opportunity to avail themselves of the program instead of being subjected to deportation procedures,” said Philippine Ambassador to Belgium Cristina Ortega.

Under the new regularization policy, illegal migrants who have lived in Belgium for at least five years and had filed their initial applications for regularization on or before March 18, 2008 can again submit their applications to the Office for Foreigners of the Ministry of Interior from September 15, 2009 to December 15 this year.

Applications will then be assessed by the Secretary of State for Asylum and Immigration vis-à-vis the implementing guidelines on regularization. Should an application be approved, the undocumented migrant will be granted the necessary papers allowing them to become legal migrants.

Documented migrants who have been working in Belgium for at least two and a half years can apply for a residence permit. They will then be required to submit a labor contract and a regional labor card. — Llanesca T. Panti, Manila Times