Maltese in Belgium
Encyclopedia
Maltese in Belgium are people from Malta
resident in Belgium
, whether permanently or temporarily. They include Maltese who have acquired Belgian citizenship, students and workers with International organizations
.
who had emigrated to the country or Maltese diplomats. In 2003 the employment of Maltese
nationals with the European Union
(EU) started in earnest in view of Malta's membership of the organisation.
According to the Belgian national statistics office show that the number of Maltese in Belgium stood at 252 as of 1 January 2008. Of these, 159 lived in Brussels, 70 in Flanders
and 23 in Wallonia. This represents a significant increase over previous years: in 2005 the number of Maltese in Belgium stood at 133 and at 192 in 2006. A more recent estimate quotes the figure of 400 Maltese in Belgium in 2010.
This also explains why most Maltese in Belgium either live in the Brussels-Capital Region or the municipalities bordering this region, in the area in and around the Brussels Ring
.
The 2008 statistics indicate a community that's more or less evenly balanced between the sexes and whose members are predominantly in the 25-40 age groups.
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
resident in Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, whether permanently or temporarily. They include Maltese who have acquired Belgian citizenship, students and workers with International organizations
International organization
An intergovernmental organization, sometimes rendered as an international governmental organization and both abbreviated as IGO, is an organization composed primarily of sovereign states , or of other intergovernmental organizations...
.
Population
Before 2003 the Maltese in Belgium were mostly people married to BelgiansBelgians
Belgians are people originating from the Kingdom of Belgium, a federal state in Western Europe.-Etymology:Belgians are a relatively "new" people...
who had emigrated to the country or Maltese diplomats. In 2003 the employment of Maltese
Maltese people
The Maltese are an ethnic group indigenous to the Southern European nation of Malta, and identified with the Maltese language. Malta is an island in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea...
nationals with the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
(EU) started in earnest in view of Malta's membership of the organisation.
According to the Belgian national statistics office show that the number of Maltese in Belgium stood at 252 as of 1 January 2008. Of these, 159 lived in Brussels, 70 in Flanders
Flemish Region
The Flemish Region is one of the three official regions of the Kingdom of Belgium—alongside the Walloon Region and the Brussels-Capital Region. Colloquially, it is usually simply referred to as Flanders, of which it is the institutional iteration within the context of the Belgian political system...
and 23 in Wallonia. This represents a significant increase over previous years: in 2005 the number of Maltese in Belgium stood at 133 and at 192 in 2006. A more recent estimate quotes the figure of 400 Maltese in Belgium in 2010.
Society
Most of the Maltese are in Belgium because of their employment with the EU. It is in fact estimated that of the 324 Maltese employed with the EU in 2010, around 250 worked in Belgium. This is why they consider themselves to expatriates rather than emigrants as was the case with the Maltese Diaspora in the demographic movements of previous generations.This also explains why most Maltese in Belgium either live in the Brussels-Capital Region or the municipalities bordering this region, in the area in and around the Brussels Ring
Brussels Ring
The Brussels Ring numbered R0, is a ring road surrounding the city of Brussels as well as other smaller towns south of Brussels. The road is a circular highway road of about 75 km with 2 to 3 lanes in each direction...
.
The 2008 statistics indicate a community that's more or less evenly balanced between the sexes and whose members are predominantly in the 25-40 age groups.