Dramatic fall in applications for Belgian nationality

The number of people applying for Belgian nationality has dropped off sharply due to tough new rules introduced in 2012 by the previous federal government.

The number of application has plummeted in recent years, from 18,732 in 2013 to just 113 in 2014, according to figures published by Het Laatste Nieuws. And the downward trend looks set to continue, with just 11 people applying for Belgian nationality so far this year.

Despite the sharp drop, authorities are still struggling to clear the backlog of cases waiting to be approved. Some 42,000 applications were still due to be processed at the end of last year, according to the report. More than 2,100 applications have been approved since then, while 1,200 have been rejected.

Tough new procedures were introduced in 2012 to replace the snel-Belgwet procedure, which granted nationality automatically to anyone who had lived in the country for seven years.

Under the new rules, candidates must show that they speak at least one of the three national languages, are integrated into the society and have worked at least 468 days in Belgium during the previous five years. There are also strict requirements concerning any absences from the country, even for short periods.

Residents married to Belgian citizens have far few problems and are processed much more quickly.

Critics argue that the new rules prevent many people, such as part-time workers, from applying for nationality.