Which immigrant communities helped make Brussels more diverse after World War II?
Following World War II, the economic expansion of the 1950s and 1960s necessitated the arrival of labourers from several countries in the Mediterranean region, which significantly increased the ethnic and religious diversity of Brussels. These immigrant communities included individuals from:1
In subsequent decades, immigrants from other regions, notably the Democratic Republic of the Congo, also arrived in the city. Additionally, the establishment of headquarters for the European Communities and later the EU brought a large international population of European functionaries to Brussels, further altering the city's demographic composition.12
While this influx of diverse cultures has enriched the city, it is important to acknowledge that geographic segregation and economic disparity have at times contributed to social tensions between immigrant groups and the native Belgian population.1