Today a social profit fair took place in Antwerp as part of the project “Every talent counts (in social profit)”. At these regional social profit fairs, persons with a migratory background are put into contact with diversity-oriented employers, training institutions, and supporting organizations such as VDAB and the Agency for Integration and Civic Integration.

The meeting put institutional stakeholders and the private sector around the table, to exchange experiences and knowledge regarding the future EU Talent Pool and other databases.

Flemish Minister for Home affairs, Administrative affairs, Civic integration and Equal opportunities, Bart Somers, wants newcomers to succeed in 9 out of 11 questions about the Belgian fundamental values.

Many cities throughout the European Union hosted people fleeing Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. To gauge how cities addressed Europe largest humanitarian crisis since World War II, the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) approached selected cities in the EU.

_{The conference 'From Tampere 20 to Tampere 2.0: Towards a new programme (2020-2024) for EU migration and asylum policies 20 years after the Tampere conclusions?' was held in Helsinki on the 24th and the 25th of October.}

On 22 October 2019, the Association of Flemish Cities and Municipalities (VVSG) published the results of the survey conducted in the spring of 2019. The results show that especially the search for housing for beneficiaries of international protection is very problematic. The regulations state that, in principle, they must leave the Local Reception Initiative (LOI) within two months. As in the VVSG survey of 2017, half of the respondents do not consider this period to be feasible. For almost 1 in 5, finding housing within this timeframe very exceptionally the case, and only thanks to the possibility to extend the stay in the LOI twice by 1 month.

 

On 12 December 2018, the Belgian contact point of the EMN organized its annual asylum and migration policy event in which recent national and EU developments in the field of international protection, legal migration and integration and irregular migration, human trafficking and return were discussed. 

As of 1 January 2018, certain third-country nationals have the obligation to follow an integration programme in the German-speaking Community.

Today an amending regulation came into force, establishing a new common design and enhanced security features for residence permit cards in the EU.

The State Secretary for Asylum Policy and Migration Theo Francken and the Walloon Minister for Employment have signed on 29 August a collaboration agreement intended to foster the socio-professional insertion of asylum seekers.

An ordinance of the Joint Community Commission of Brussels - which was published in the Belgian Gazette today - establishes a mandatory integration programme for newcomers in Brussels. 

Today a new law enters (partly) into force inserting a general residence condition into the Immigration Act. The Immigration Office can now put an end to a residence permit if the person cannot put forward provable integration efforts.

The Belgian Contact Point of the EMN organised a conference on labour market participation of beneficiaries of international protection. The event took place on the 8th of November in Brussels (Résidence Palace).

On 29 June in Paris, the French NCP of the EMN organised a conference with the objective to discuss labour market integration of beneficiaires of international protection and specific support measures targetting this group, as well as to provide a comparative European perspective.

The activity rate for non-EU citizens is lower than for nationals with a higher unemployment rate and a lower employment rate.

The Action Plan aims at supporting Member States in the integration of third-country nationals and their economic and social contribution to the EU. It will be accompanied by a legal proposal to reform the rules on highly skilled migrants coming to the EU to work.

As from 9 November 2015, an asylum seeker can obtain a C work permit four months after applying for asylum. The 6 month period was cut to 4 months by a Royal Decree which entered into force today.

The declaration presenting some of the key principles of the European Convention on Human Rights and the Belgian Constitution will be submitted to foreigners arriving in the country.

Since 13 November 2014 and until May 2015, Belgium is chairing the Committee of Ministers, the political decision making organ of the Council of Europe. Under the Belgian Presidency, migration and asylum will be part of the issues tackled.

The summit took stock of progress made on Roma inclusion in the EU. It focused on three major themes: making policies inclusive for all Roma at the local level; making EU funding reach the local and regional authorities; making Roma integration a local reality.

The King Baudouin Foundation calls on young researchers, students or graduates to deliver a useful contribution to policy making in the area of migration and integration. Four persons will be rewarded for the work presented!

At the occasion of this Itinera event, various experts, including Dirk Jacobs (ULB) and Jasper Dag Tjaden (Migration Policy Group), gave their vision from both a Belgian and European perspective on "Education & Integration".

Today, the law from 4 December 2012 modifying the Belgian Nationality Code with a view to making the aquisition of nationality neutral from an immigration point of view, was published.

A press release of the national bank of Belgium indicates that the employment rate of persons born in a non-EU country is the lowest of all Member States, namely 45.8 % in 2011.