What is the NewVoices?
NewVoices is a research project designed with and for newcomers in Belgium. Our aim is to better understand the realities of people who have arrived in Belgium within the past five years and are 18 years old or older— their living situations, health conditions, experiences on the labour market, social networks, and encounters with discrimination.
Much of the current European research compares migrants to non-migrants across various topics like employment, family life, health, or mortality. While useful, this approach often overlooks the diversity within migrant groups themselves. Migrants are not a single, homogenous group — they have different backgrounds, face different challenges, and have different needs.
We also face a major gap in the data: newly arrived migrants are underrepresented in traditional surveys. Language barriers, legal status, or distrust of institutions often exclude them. Administrative data like health records rarely include meaningful migration-related details. This makes it hard to design policies that are truly inclusive or effective.
That’s where NewVoices comes in. We focus on the largest groups of newcomers, based on their country of birth, to better understand their lives across multiple domains (education, social background, employment, health, social media use, use of public spaces and social network).
How does it work?
To reach newcomers effectively, we’re using a method called Web-based Respondent-Driven Sampling (WEB-RDS) — a peer-to-peer recruitment strategy that works well with hard-to-reach populations.
Here’s how it works:
- We start with a small group of participants from the target population, known as “seeds”.
- These seeds complete the survey and then invite at least 5 other people (who meet the participation criteria) from their own social networks to participate.
- This process continues in waves, creating a chain of recruitment that grows the sample naturally and inclusively. WEB-RDS doesn't just help us find participants — it also gives us insight into how newcomers are connected, which helps us better understand their integration experiences and support networks.
To make sure this method would work in practice, we first conducted a formative study with focus groups from different migrant communities. These conversations helped us understand how social networks operate in each group, and how we could tailor the survey and incentive system to their needs.
Now, we’re launching separate WEB-RDS studies for different newcomer communities in Belgium — each shaped by community feedback and grounded in trust.
In future phases of our research following the survey, we would like to conduct interviews to hear directly from newcomers about their experiences in Belgium. If you would be interested in joining us for an interview or stay in touch about our project, you can leave your contact information here.
Got an Invitation? Your Voice Matters!
If you received an invitation link to take part in the NewVoices survey — don’t miss this chance! This is a unique opportunity for you and other newcomers in Belgium to make your voice heard.
By completing the survey, you help us better understand: the barriers newcomers face, their needs, and their experiences building a new life in Belgium. Your input will directly support research that aims to improve policies and services for people like you.
Why participate?
- Your answers help paint a clearer picture of the real-life challenges newcomers face.
- You help represent your community in a study made for and with newcomers.
- You can invite people from your network to do the same — the more voices, the stronger the message!
- Plus, there’s a bonus for your community:
When you complete the survey and successfully invite others from your network, the project will make a donation to a charity organization of your choice.
So, let’s spread the word together — because your voice matters!
Your privacy is our priority
We understand that sharing personal information can feel sensitive — especially if you’re new to Belgium. That’s why we take your privacy seriously. Here’s how we protect your data:
- Completely confidential: Your answers are anonymous and cannot be linked back to you personally.
- Secure storage: All data is stored safely and handled according to strict data protection laws, including the European GDPR regulations.
- Used only for research: Your data will be used exclusively for academic research aimed at improving the lives of newcomers in Belgium — never for commercial purposes, and never shared with authorities.
We designed this study together with people from your community, and we’re committed to protecting your trust every step of the way. The survey has been approved by the Ethics Committee for Human Sciences (ECHW) at Vrije Universiteit Brussel. The Committee provides ethical advice to VUB researchers and assesses whether the proposed research complies with established ethical principles and standards.
Detailed information about the VUB Privacy Policy can be found here.
NewVoices Privacy Policy is available here (144.37 KB) "pdf".
Terms and conditions of the online survey are described in the informed consent form available here (110.36 KB) "pdf".
In case you have specific questions about your rights concerning the processing of your data, you can contact the university’s data protection officer, at dpo@vub.be or DPO, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels – Building M – Office 508.
Meet the team behind the NewVoices
Project Team Members
Want to know more or get involved? Reach out to the team behind NewVoices — we’d love to hear from you.
