Flemish minister Hilde Crevits (CD&V) is investigating “parallel communities,” neighbourhoods largely made up of one or two ethnic or religious groups, such as Turkish or Muslim areas. She wants to assess if segregation is leading to isolation.
Home News
Interior department study to offer snapshot of Flanders’ ethnic enclaves
Lisa Bradshaw
Published:
Flanders’ interior minister, Hilde Crevits (CD&V) plans to launch a research project into “parallel communities”, neighbourhoods made up of a specific ethnic or religious groups. The goal is to identify when a sense of security in community crosses the line into isolation.
"In a super-diverse society, it is normal for people of foreign origin, and more specifically newcomers, to seek out their own community,” according to a description of the project. “But when this becomes a pervasive reflex and people continue to withdraw fully into their own familiar environments, social cohesion with the greater society can be undermined.”
When people have little to no contact with the wider community, there is a risk of misinformation and disinformation about the ‘outside world’
The description goes on to say that, in extreme cases, these communities become segregated along ethnic-cultural and religious lines, with many residents – consciously or not – “withdrawing into themselves spatially and distancing themselves from the wider society.”
The study will look at ethnic enclaves in larger cities, such as Ghent and Antwerp, but also smaller towns like Zele in East Flanders and Beringen and Heusden-Zolder in Limburg. Part of the government’s concern is the spread of information – seen during the corona virus crisis when it was clear that the rate of vaccinations was much lower in ethnic enclaves.
“When people have little to no contact with the wider community, there is a risk of misinformation and disinformation about the ‘outside world’,” the project description notes. “This can lead to distrust, misunderstanding and hostility.”
The study will first determine where such communities exist and then will look at municipal policies and outreach. The idea is to experiment among the local leadership with different ways of working in the communities.
SAAMO Limburg, which works with disadvantaged communities of all kinds, says that a research project is unnecessary as there is already plenty of material and knowledge around parallel communities. “We have a very good picture of the segregation problem,” SAAMO general director Claudia Mellebeek says. “We should just bundle all of the experience and knowhow we already have to address the situation.”
Mellebeek also points to a potential “polarising effect” of such a study. “We all know that there are differences, but putting all the focus on that is counterproductive,” she says. “From experience I can tell you that it works far better to emphasise what we have in common.”
City-within-a-city
The Limburg mayors, on the other hand, are cautiously optimistic about the planned study. “We have a minining history in Heusden-Zolder, so we are looking largely at Turkish and Italian people,” says mayor Mario Borremans (GOED). “I do think we need to make extra efforts for integration. It can always be improved, especially when it comes to urban space and education. Of course we must respect the freedom of choice for a school, but it would be good if we as a municipal council had tools to help guide this.”
Beringen also has “a very large Turkish community,” says mayor Thomas Vints (CD&V), “which comes down to a city-within-a-city. There’s nothing wrong with that, but we do need to consider how we can live together in the best possible way. I think we can put more work into the search for connection.”