Antwerp

Following World War I, Belgium needed cheap labor for its developing industry. Initially migrants came from neighboring countries and Eastern Europe, and, after World War II, from Italy, Greece, and Spain. In the 1960s, laborers were recruited from Turkey and Morocco. In recent years there has been a growing diversity of nationalities of new migrants compared to the earlier decades.

In 1999, the foreign population in Antwerp amounted to 13 percent of the population. A fast-growing number of Moroccans today represent 35 percent of that population; Turks comprise 11 percent.

The At Home in Europe: Muslims in Antwerp report focuses on the district of Borgerhout, which is split into two neighborhoods: Intra Muros and Extra Muros. Borgerhout Intra Muros was built around the inner city of Antwerp during the 19th century. After deindustrialization, this area became a victim of decay, and higher income groups left while poorer groups remained. A few decades later, Turkish and Moroccan migrants moved to Intra Muros because of the many cheap and vacant houses. In recent years, Eastern European migrants and asylum seekers have also moved into this area.

The focus on Borgerhout allows for a more nuanced understanding of the interaction between residents and policymakers where Muslims form a higher proportion of the population than within the city or state as a whole. A study of the local level also examines whether these demographic circumstances at the district and neighborhood level have encouraged the development of practical solutions to social policies that respond to the needs and views of local Muslim populations.