Royal order (Legislation applicable on the whole Belgian territory)

20th May 1965 (Belgian Official Journal 17th June 1965).

Royal order of 20th May 1965 in relation to the granting to migrant workers of an allowance for travel costs of their family members.

The migrant worker is eligible for an allowance covering a part of the travel costs of his family members who have accompanied him or who have come to meet him again (art. 1). The total amount of the allowance is 50% of the travel costs (art. 4).
The granting of the allowance is subordinate to some conditions : the worker must hold a work permit, there must be at least three children in his family must contain at least three children and the family members must reside under the concerned person’s roof (art. 3).

While immigration was essentially seen up to then from the economical point of view of a workforce contribution and while the presence of foreign workers was considered to be temporary, the perspective changes in the beginning of the 60s.
On the basis of demographical surveys highlighting a population ageing process, the Belgian authorities have given immigration a repopulation and rejuvenation function. Some measures are taken to « fix » immigrants to the country.
We especially find there the setting up of a family reunification policy that is notably given concrete expression by this royal order that provides for a state intervention in the travel costs of the migrant worker’s family.
The reunification legislation is accompanied by information campaigns in the recruitment countries, and especially in North Africa where the brochure " Vivre et travailler en Belgique / Living and working in Belgium " highlights the reception given to the families : family allowance, National Health Service, religious freedom, etc.

Text of the order : see appendix
Published in the Belgian Official Journal of 17th June 1965

Philippe Plumet

INFOREF

External expert. Project leader - Educational coordination unit “Democracy or barbarism”, Ministery of French-speaking community in Belgium