… and those who did are unlikely to be accepted, reports say
Adam Withnall
Belgium has not naturalised a single foreigner this year under new citizenship rules that have been in force since 1 January, reports say.
The country has drastically overhauled the system by which it grants outsiders status as Belgian citizens, requiring that applicants “have shown, or are able to show, outstanding services to Belgium” in the fields of science, sports or culture.
As a result, the number of people trying to get naturalised has dropped hugely. Previously, applicants simply had to have lived in the country for three years or be able to show they have one of a broad range of “true ties” to the place.
In 2012, 4,838 people were naturalised out of the nearly 18,731 who tried for the status.
By comparison, just 508 people have applied under the new law – and reports in the Belgian daily La Libre Belgique yesterday suggested that not a single one of them is likely to have their request granted.
“The effects of the new nationality law are significant,” the newspaper said. Under the new regime, all applications are put before the lower house of the country’s parliament – where politicians vote on whether to grant each individual the “favour” of Belgian nationality.
Categories: EU Erosion
Engineering Evil 