Employment chances and changes of immigrants in Belgium: the impact of citizenship

This paper looks at the impact of citizenship acquisition on the labour market positions of immigrants in Belgium. Citizenship is open to all immigrants with a sufficient period of legal residence, without any language or integration requirements. In that respect, this study is an important complement to existing studies which have mostly focused on countries with comparatively stricter acquisition rules. Based on Labour Force Survey data for 2008, this study uses probit regression to estimate static and dynamic employment probabilities and unemployment risks. We find that citizenship acquisition is associated with better labour market outcomes for non-Western immigrants in general. This effect remains after controlling for years since migration, indicating the existence of a citizenship premium in Belgium.