“The New Italians of Brussels”: an event on the post-2000 migration wave

Brussels – No longer forced abroad to survive in the depths of Belgian mines, Italians are now informed, skilled citizens seeking better work opportunities. The event, organised by the Italian Embassy and the Consulate General of Italy in Brussels, is dedicated to these Italians who arrived in Belgium in the early years of the new millennium. The initiative, “Expo Italo 2000”, is dedicated to “The New Italians of Brussels” and will be held at the MigratieMuseumMigration, 17 Rue des Ateliers, Molenbeek-Saint-Jean (1080 Brussels), with the official opening scheduled for 17 September at 5.00 pm.

The central theme of the exhibition and the event centres on the Italian community in Brussels who arrived in Belgium after 2000. This new wave of migration is portrayed not as a choice dictated purely by necessity, but as a journey driven by the search for better job opportunities and professional development within a stimulating European context: a reality in which these citizens say they feel completely at home today.

The programme for the opening night is dynamic and engaging, alternating moments of reflection with moments of celebration. The event will open with first-hand accounts from the key figures behind the “Italo 2000” project, offering an authentic insight into their life stories and experiences of integration. This will be followed by a musical interlude featuring a performance by the band A67 from Naples, before concluding with a moment of fellowship and “joy”.