Non-EU migrants wishing to live in Belgium will have to sign a statement declaring their acceptance of local values or see their residency claim rejected, a Government official said, in a move campaigners fear will fuel anti-immigrant sentiment.

What are people being asked to sign? Respect freedom of speech, assembly, religion, sexual orientation

Respect freedom of speech, assembly, religion, sexual orientation Males and females equal, have same rights, must pay taxes

Males and females equal, have same rights, must pay taxes Adults' right to freely choose job, home, partner without parental pressure

Adults' right to freely choose job, home, partner without parental pressure Both parents' obligation to provide for children

Both parents' obligation to provide for children Neither boys nor girls can be forced into marriage

Neither boys nor girls can be forced into marriage Violence and threat to use violence, including to spouse or children, is punishable

Violence and threat to use violence, including to spouse or children, is punishable Prevent, report terrorism attempts

Prevent, report terrorism attempts Make sufficient efforts to learn language of region

Make sufficient efforts to learn language of region Sustain self by own means, become self-supportive Source: Theo Francken

Parliament is expected to pass the proposal to introduce a "Newcomers' Statement" in the next few months, according to a spokesman for Belgium's secretary of state for asylum and migration, Theo Francken, who drafted the plan.

People moving to Belgium for more than three months would have to sign the statement, which includes a pledge to prevent and report any attempts to commit "acts of terrorism".

The statement would not apply to asylum seekers and students, the spokesman said.

"[Many people] are coming [to Belgium] from countries with other values," said Mr Francken's spokesman Laurent Mutambayi.

"If they want to build their life here in Europe [we have] no problem with that but they have to sign this statement that they accept our values."

Mr Mutambayi said those who were not deemed to be integrating sufficiently will not be allowed to stay in the country.

The question of integration has dominated news headlines in Europe which received more than 1 million people last year fleeing conflict and poverty in the Middle East and beyond.

Mr Mutambayi said last month's suicide bombings at Brussels Airport and on a metro train which killed 35 people reinforced the argument for the integration statement.

Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attacks.

One of the Belgian organisations working with migrants criticised the proposal, saying it was discriminatory and would fuel prejudice towards migrants.

"It's an extra tool for the immigration office to keep some people out of Belgium," said Didier Vanderslycke from ORBIT, an organisation working on diversity and migration.

"The integration process can start when you have the residence and not when you sign a document that you will integrate.

"It's really a bad thing as a welcome [for] people."

He said making would-be residents sign a declaration accepting gay rights or equality between men and women suggested that these values were not held by immigrants, and would deepen prejudice against them.

Reuters