Flemish immigration to Wallonia is a significant phenomenon in Belgian social and economic history, although it is often overshadowed by other, more recent or high-profile migratory flows. Yet hundreds of thousands of Flemings have left their native region to settle in the south of the country, helping to shape modern Walloon society.
The origins of the Flemish exodus
The first major wave of Flemish immigration to Wallonia took place between 1845 and 1850. This migration was prompted by a deep economic crisis in Flanders: the decline of the linen industry, which was facing competition from English mechanisation and was excluded from the French market, meant that a large part of the population was out of work. The situation was exacerbated by a major agricultural crisis, notably potato disease in 1845, followed by poor cereal harvests and epidemics of typhus and cholera. Poverty and famine drove many Flemings to seek work elsewhere, particularly in Wallonia, where industrialisation offered new prospects.
A visible and sometimes stigmatised phenomenon
Unlike previous discreet migrations, this wave took on the appearance of an ‘invasion’ in certain working-class districts of Hainaut and Liège, according to observers at the time. The Flemish often arrived as families or in groups, working as mine labourers, industrial labourers, seasonal farmers or diggers on major building sites. Their arrival gave rise to contrasting reactions: while some emphasised their poverty and the difficulties of integration, others noted the warm welcome and opportunities offered by Wallonia.
Integration and heritage
Over the decades, many Flemish migrants settled permanently in Wallonia, starting families and gradually integrating into local society. The Church and the Flemish movement sometimes played a mobilising role, but for the most part assimilation was successful, as many of their descendants can testify today. Flemish migrants have left their mark on popular culture, community life and even the urban planning of certain Walloon towns.
A forgotten migration?
Despite its importance, Flemish migration to Wallonia is rarely mentioned in history textbooks. Yet it has had a profound impact on the region's demography and social structure, while illustrating the complexity of Belgian identities and the country's internal mobility.
Sources
- Quairiaux, Yves. « Les “Flaminds” avant 1914 en Wallonie. Du dénigrement à l'assimilation ». L'image de l'autre dans l'Europe du Nord-Ouest à travers l'histoire, édité par Jean-Pierre Jessenne, Publications de l'Institut de recherches historiques du Septentrion, 1996, https://doi.org/10.4000/books.irhis.1543.
- Poulain, Michel et Foulon, Michel. « L'immigration flamande en Wallonie : évaluation à l'aide d'un indicateur anthroponymique ». Département de démographie - Université Catholique de Louvain.
- Hanse, Gwennaëlle. L'émigration flamande en Wallonie : Comment comprendre la situation actuelle et envisager l'avenir? Analyse historique et sociale. Faculté des sciences économiques, sociales, politiques et de communication, Université catholique de Louvain, 2020. Prom. : Standaert, Olivier. http://hdl.handle.net/2078.1/thesis:26167
- Martiniello, Marco et Rea, Andrea. « Une brève histoire de l'immigration en Belgique ». Fédération Wallonie Bruxelles, 2024. https://www.cedem.uliege.be/cms/c_11976180/fr/une-breve-histoire-de-l-immigration-en-belgique
- Defosse, Pol. « Les flux migratoires en Belgique (XIXe et XXe siècles) ». La Ligue de l'Enseignement et de l'Éducation permanente, 2019. https://ligue-enseignement.be/education-enseignement/publications/etudes/les-flux-migratoires-en-belgique-xixe-et-xxe-siecles
Image credit: daniel0Z/imageBROKER, "Flags of Flanders and Wallonia painted on cracked wall", Adobe Stock
