Recently moved to Brussels, Belgium

[subhuman]

Originally Posted by gerrit

It could be that having Belgian grandparents makes you eligible for citizenship straight away, I am not sure but it's worth checking that. It would save you the hassle of renewing working permits everytime you want to change employer, renewing residence permits etc. The bureaucracy can be a pain, but maybe you can avoid it because of your Belgian ancestry.


One thing though: you say you don't care about politics but want to know if Belgians are openminded towards foreigners moving to the country.

Unfortunately you cannot answer this question without looking at the political state the country is in. I would say, and I am quite ashamed for it, that Belgium is more racist and xenophobic (especially certain areas of Flanders) than other EU countries generally. Let's just say it like this: I lived in 4 other EU countries and while racism and far right ideologies exist and grow all over Europe, in Belgium the situation is quite worrying. So yes, some people have a negative attitude towards foreigners, although being non-Muslim will help a lot as people are generally more open towards other "westerners", having merely prejudices against immigrants from non-western countries. In big cities like Brussels or Ghent you are likely to experience little problems because they are cosmopolitan as it is. Rural areas and smaller towns can be suffocating however for anyone who doesn't walk the line.

If you want to know details about the worrying far right movement in Belgium, I can explain in detail if you'd be really interested in it. I think as a Canadian you'd be fine, especially when you already mastered French, it is merely expats from "non-western countries" who unfortunately became public scapegoats.

Is it more xenophobic then Italy?

[subhuman]

is there a forum just for belgium and holland, i cant find it here