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Even if Brussels is not the main centre of settlement for Italians in Belgium, the Italians of Brussels clearly differ from Italians who live elsewhere in that country. During the last years, the dynamism of this population is undeniable in the Belgian capital, whereas the Italian presence is often just presented as a legacy from the past. Definitive Italian immigrations are now rare, but the period of mass returns is over. In Brussels, an intense migratory circulation has been developing including frequent returns, short-term stays that might prefigure the new better-balanced migratory exchange between Italy and Belgium. As a consequence, the Italians of Brussels may be less fixed in the Belgian context than the Italians of the rest of the country, but they show a remarkable ability to keep their Italian identity while taking part in the Belgian society. The young Italians in Brussels often maintain strong ties with the country of their parents and their mother tongue still plays a central role in their every day life. They live in the Belgian environment, but this doesn't prevent them to claim their Italian identity. As a conclusion, shouldn't we consider that the Italians still form a foreign community, in the strongest sense of the word? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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