The European Commission President, Jean-Claude Juncker, writes on the challenge of the migration issue.

To face the important inflow of asylum seekers in Belgium, the government has taken measures to create additional reception places.

Interior ministers in Brussels on Monday (20 July) fell short of a European Commission-proposed target to relocate 40,000 asylum seekers arriving in Greece and Italy over the next two years. However according to EU Commissioner Avramopoulos significant progress was made on different topics.

As part of the implementation of the government agreement of October 2014 as well as of the new reception scheme, the reduction of available reception places for asylum seekers has been approved by the Council of Ministers of 11 December 2014.

On 4 December 2014, 22 Syrian refugees landed in Belgium for resettlement. 53 more are expected to arrive by the end of the year. Further resettlements of Syrian refugees are planned in 2015.

The Royal decree of 15 May 2014 entered into force today, determining conditions of application for internal measures and sanctions to guarantee or restore the order, security and tranquility in reception centers.

On 25 October 2013 the Belgian National Contact Point of the European Migration Network organised a conference on the reception of asylum seekers in Belgium and the EU.

This Conference looked into the strengths and weaknesses of reception system for asylum seekers in terms of quality, efficiency and flexibility. Speakers from Belgium, France and the UK provided a comparative perspective.

The European Committee of Social Rights (ECSR) judgement dated from 23 October 2012, highlighting some deficiencies in foreign children's rights in Belgium, was published today.

The the January/February edition of the European Asylum Support Office’s newsletter was launched.

At the occasion of the IE EMN NCP conference in Dublin, a wide audience, including national policy makers and experts as well as representatives from the Commission and other NCPs, discussed protection challenges.

On 29th November in Paris, the French NCP organised a conference on the CEAS. The next day there was a EMN-Cluster Meeting on reception conditions for asylum seekers in the EU: "existing mechanisms and good practices”

The Justice and Home Affairs Council (JHA) achieved a Political Agreement on the Reception Conditions Directive, discussed recent developments in Syria and council conclusions were endorsed concerning the new EU strategy to combat human trafficking.

The Belgian Council of Ministers decided to provide a subsidy to finance prefabricated schools in Syrian refugee camps in Turkey. The assistance is provided in the framework of the policy on conflict prevention of Foreign Affairs.

The European Parliament's Committee on Civil Liberties (LIBE) gave the green light to an agreement to recast the Reception Conditions Directive.

The law of January 19, 2012 introduced the concept of a “return track” for asylum seekers, a framework for individual counseling on return, offered by the Federal Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (Fedasil). New instructions implement this return track in the reception centres.

On 2 May, Representatives of the Parliament of the French community unanimously approved the reform of the reception and education of foreign newcomer children, improving and making "bridging classes" more flexible.

The annual report of the Federal Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (Fedasil) has been launced. Fedasil updates you on the voluntary return program that it runs as well as the reception situation and network in 2011.

On February 17,2012 the law of January 19, 2012: “Law for modification of the legislation regarding the reception of asylum seekers” was published.

The new Secretary of State for Asylum and Migration and for Social Integration, Maggie De Block (Open VLD) presented today her policy paper on reception in the Parliament.

ECtHR finds Belgium violated Article 3 and 5 of the European Convention on Human Rights by detaining a mother and three children during asylum procedure

On 1 June 2011, the European Commission presents its revised proposals amending the Directives on Asylum Procedures and on Reception Conditions.

The communication services of the CGRS and of Fedasil have jointly published, with the support of the European Refugee Fund, an information brochure “Asylum in Belgium”.