Database for immigrants and disabled

21 February 2007

BRUSSELS — The Flemish employment and vocational training service (VDAB) has launched a separate database for disabled and immigrant job-seekers, De Standaard writes.

The statistics will be handed over to the Flemish government, who have set certain quotas for both disabled people and immigrants.

VDAB Chairman Fons Leroy says that with the help of a separate database
it will be easier to monitor that disabled and immigrant job applicants are not discriminated against.

Ingrid Pelssers, responsible for the Emancipation Affairs in the Flemish government, says she has heard the Flemish government agencies complain that they did want to employ more disabled people and immigrants but “could not find them”.

The new database will operate starting from September this year. To enter the database, the handicapped will have to present medical certificates and the immigrants will have to prove that at least one of their parents is a national of a country outside the EU.

Subject: Belgian news