The Brexit has shaken Brussels’ British community.
Since June, inquiries about obtaining Belgian nationality have multiplied. “We’ve had two waves. First of all the immediate shock after the Brexit, i.e. in July, where there was really an emotional reaction from the British (…) and then finally all this reaction consolidated over time,” explains Delphine Bourgeois, head of European affairs at the commune of Ixelles in Brussels.
But not all British citizens can use the traditional procedure to apply for Belgian nationality. European civil servants come under a different legal regime. They “do not have the residence permit issued to other foreign nationals. So they have a special identity card, and some Belgian authorities consider that this card is not proof of residence on Belgian territory”, explains Félix Géradon, Deputy General Secretary of Union Syndicale, the main trade union in the European civil service. However, there is a way for these Britons to obtain a Belgian passport. But it’s a little-known route that requires a lengthy administrative procedure.
SOURCE (only in french) : Euronews
