Transnational activities and social-cultural integration of Turkish and Moroccan descendants in Flemish Belgium

Abstract

The two key questions that this paper seeks to address are: (1) To what extent are Moroccan and Turkish immigrants (and their descendants) living in Belgium involved in transnational activities? (2) What is the impact of transnational involvement on the social-cultural integration of people of Moroccan and Turkish descent into the country of settlement? To answer these research questions we carried out quantitative analyses on data gathered in three cities in the Dutch-speaking part of Belgium: Antwerp, Genk and Ghent (618 standardized face-to-face interviews). Results show that in both communities transnational activities are common practices. Those of Turkish descent have more contact (by telephone or internet) with family in their country of origin, but those of Moroccan descent more often send money or goods to their relatives. The more often members of minority groups watch country of origin television channels, the less Belgian they feel and the poorer their command of the majority language.