Belgium's state secretary for Asylum and Migration, Nicole De Moor, announced a significant change for seasonal workers from EU countries. They will no longer be required to renew their

residence permits after three months of employment on Belgian farms. Instead, the workers will be issued temporary residence permits that align with the duration of their "picking card," allowing them to work for up to 100 days.

Previously, the 50,000 seasonal workers in Belgium had to apply for a temporary document from the municipality, enabling them to stay for a maximum of three months. To extend their stay beyond this period, they had to submit a new form with the municipality. The recent decision by the federal government aims to ease the administrative burden on local administrations and provide more legal certainty for farmers.

This change is especially beneficial for Belgium's fruit-growing and vegetable sectors, which heavily rely on seasonal labor. Every year, around 65,000 people arrive to pick ripe produce, with more than 50,000 coming from other EU countries. The move not only supports the traditional seasonal labor performed by Eastern European workers but also opens opportunities for projects to employ Ukrainian refugees in fruit-growing ventures.

The measure is expected to streamline the process for seasonal workers and improve the efficiency of the agricultural sector while ensuring a steady workforce during peak harvest times. Photo by PAC55, Wikimedia commons.