After more than a year of difficult negotiations, Belgian Prime Minister Herman Van Rompuy released details of the federal government's agreement on regularisng illegal immigrants on Monday (20 July).
Under the scheme, illegals who have lived in Belgium for at least five years will be able to apply to regularise their situation between 15 September and 15 December this year.
Previous estimations said the number of beneficiaries may range from 50,000 to 100,000 but the authorities put the figure at 25,000, imposing strict criteria for foreigners to obtain legal status.
The move is in no way a "mass regularisation", according to government officials quoted by De Standaard newspaper.
To win approval, applicants will have to prove that they are already integrated into Belgian society. If successful, they will be granted papers allowing them to legally stay and work in the country.
People who have been working in Belgium for at least two-and-a-half years can also apply for a residence permit. They have to produce a labour contract and a regional labour card.
Other factors in favour of applicants include language skills, attendance of literacy courses or having children at school.
The secretary of state for asylum and immigration, Melchior Wathelet (a francophone Christian Democrat), has the final say on each individual application.
Reactions broadly positive
Political parties generally welcomed the agreement, but a number of questions were raised. The Flemish socialists Sp.a said the asylum and immigration secretary had been given too much power. The francophone Ecolo party said they had numerous doubts, in particular over the fact that no special body to deal with the issue had been put in place.
The nationalist and anti-immigration New Flemish Alliance N-VA slammed the agreement. Its leader, Bart de Wever, said that the French-speaking community had got what they wanted, while in his words Flemish concerns had not been addressed. N-VA representatives warned that the federal government had opened the door for a second round of regularisations in the near future.
