Welcome to Antwerp ?

In the nineteenth century, the immigration policy underwent major changes. Journalist and historian Ellen Debackere studied the policy in the city of Antwerp from 1830 to 1880. She shows how the priorities of the local policy differed from those of the national state. The city applied the general policy towards foreign newcomers selectively. The studies carried out so far on the history of Belgian migration policy in the nineteenth century have been mainly limited to the national level with an emphasis on legislation. The implementation of the regulations in a political system characterized by a strong municipal autonomy have so far been little studied. Ellen Debackere’s research fills this gap. It was carried out as part of a doctoral thesis (UA-VUB) and is based in part on census data from LOKSTAT.

Book:

Ellen Debackere, Welkom in Antwerpen? Het Antwerpse vreemdelingenbeleid, 1830-1880. Leuven: Universitaire Pers, 2020, 1-280.