New Rules, New Routes: Key Trends In Global Mobility

Belgium's new federal government, formed at the start of 2025, has introduced measures in its January coalition agreement that could have significant implications for migration in Belgium. We discuss the key points, before setting out comments from 13 other countries, highlighting the current trends in global mobility.

The Coalition Agreement

Immigration was a major topic in the 2024 Belgian federal elections. Not surprisingly, a sizeable chapter of the coalition agreement that was published after the new government formed is devoted to "asylum and migration" and sets out the new government's key objectives in this area. On labour migration, they want to introduce measures that encourage highly skilled workers and students to come to Belgium. In other areas of migration, stricter measures are expected to apply with the main goal being a focus on activation, integration and self-reliance of foreign nationals within society as soon as possible.