It's better than stealing: informal street selling in Brussels

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to gain insight into the organisation of informal street selling in the capital of Belgium, its association with formal and illegal selling and the perceptions, choices and decisions of the sellers. Design/methodology/approach – A qualitative approach (case study) was employed, including interviews, observations and document analyses. Findings – The results point to different types of informal street selling, which are mainly executed by (illegal) migrants as a survival strategy. The case illustrates the different interrelations between the formal, informal and criminal economy. Notwithstanding the precarious situation of many informal sellers (informal), street selling is preserved by the government as a social safety net. Moreover, informal selling is neutralised by the suggestion that it is a better alternative than stealing or committing crimes which inflict physical harm and feelings of insecurity. Research limitations/implications – The results have limited generalisability, but are theoretically and methodologically important. Practical implications – Implications for migration policy (e.g. more preventative actions in countries of origin, shorter procedures, development of migration regulations accounting for other policy domains, e.g. employment market). Originality/value – The study fills a gap in the literature as there is limited empirical research on informal economy and Belgian informal street selling. Results are discussed in relation to international literature, thus overcoming a purely national perspective.