Minister Bourgeois presents first starters kit ‘Migrating to Flanders’ in Morocco

  • May 8, 2012
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Minister Geert Bourgeois, responsible for civic integration in the Government of Flanders, presented Mr. Alain Van Gucht, Belgian Consul-General in the Moroccan city of Casablanca, with the first starters kit ‘Migrating to Flanders’. The information package will ensure that family migrants who have been already granted access to Flanders to get acquainted with Flemish society and the Dutch language. Furthermore, minister Bourgeois met with three Moroccan ministers, discussing equal treatment of women in the North African country.

Migrating to Flanders

The starter kit provides a DVD with candid testimonies from family migrants living in Flanders, an information brochure with themes such as norms and values, migration, civic integration, work, education and housing, a language guide, and a checklist of do-not-forget documents. This package is available to the migrant free of charge.

With this starters kit ‘Migrating to Flanders’, the Government of Flanders wants to reach out to third country nationals coming to Flanders to reunite or start with a family. Too often we find that these people are unprepared, resulting in an integration from scratch. By informing them in advance about relevant aspects of Flemish society, the Government wishes to create a realistic view and expectations, promoting the integration of newcomers. Once in Flanders, they will have to participate in an extensive compulsory integration programme.

Due to the project’s experimental nature, it is initially focused on the countries with the highest influx of immigrants in Flanders, namely Turkey, Morocco and Russia.

Women’s rights

Furthermore, minister Bourgeois had contacts with minister Maazouz, responsible for Moroccans abroad, minister El Gerrouij, responsible for Administrative Affairs, and minister Hakkaoui, responsible for women's issues. Prior to the meeting with minister Hakkaoui, minister Bourgeois attended the signing of a cooperation agreement between the not-for-profit organization Ella and UAF (Union de l'Action Feminine). In the context of marriage migration, the two organisations will share expertise and launch an informative website.

From his meeting with minister Hakkaoui, Mr. Bourgeois concluded that she is willing to amend the criminal code, in order to avoid cases like that of Amina Filali, the girl who committed suicide after being forced to marry her rapist . In addition, minister Bourgeois also pleaded for a judiciary with the power to meticulously oversee the execution of laws. Finally, minister Hakkaoui announced her decision to establish an instance for equal rights and equal treatment of women.