On the 7th October 2015, the EMN Annual Conference took place in Esch-Belval (Luxembourg). It was dedicated to the 30 years of the Schengen Agreement, as well as to the current challenges to the system regarding border management and irregular migration.

Following the increase in the number of asylum seekers, the Belgian government approved a series of measures to progressively increase the reception capacity .

This News Release, covers main trends on first time asylum applicants and on pending asylum applicants for the second quarter of 2015 in the EU28+EFTA region.

On 14 September 2015, an extraordinary Justice and Home Affairs Council meeting was held in Brussels to discuss Europe's response to the current refugee crisis.

Today, the European Commission put forward a package of proposals to help address the refugee crisis that EU Member States and neighbouring countries are facing, including by tackling the root causes making people seek refuge in Europe.

Today, the Federal Migration Centre presented its new name (Myria) and identity as well as its report "Migration in figures and rights", which provides an annual overview of the demographics and of the situation of foreigners in terms of fundamental rights.

On 3 September a Law amending the Immigration Act came into force. The amendment is intended to take into account threats to society and national security in applications for international protection.

The Luxembourg Presidency of the Council of the European Union has convened an extraordinary "Justice and Home Affairs" Council focused on Europe's response to the current migration crisis.

The Council of Ministers has approved a series of measures to guarantee the humane reception of asylum seekers, ensure the rapid transfer of asylum files and reinforce the return of failed asylum seekers.

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

Each month, the Office of the Commissioner General for Refugees and Stateless persons (CGRS) publishes a document providing the statistics on asylum applications and asylum decisions.

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

Today, the European Commission launched a public consultation on the "Smart Borders Package", one of the priorities included in the European Agenda on Migration. All citizens (EU nationals and non-EU nationals) and organisations are invited to contribute.

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.

Today Belgium lifted the restrictions on the free movement of workers from Croatia. Croatian citizens are now able to fully exercise their right to work in Belgium without a work permit.

The CGRS’ new website, which provides information on the asylum procedure in Belgium, puts an emphasis on user-friendliness and transparency.

Today, 28 May 2015, the European Commission launched a public consultation on the future of the Blue Card Directive. This consultation invites stakeholders (migrants, employers, trade unions, governmental organisations, etc.) to share their views on the EU Blue Card and how it can be improved.

The European Agenda aims to give concrete answers following the recent tragedies in the Mediterranean and, more generally, to manage migration better in all aspects.

The Belgian EMN National Contact Point (NCP) organized an information session targeted at partners from the institutions being part of it, with a view to informing them about its activities and cooperation opportunities.

The European Commission asks Belgium to implement rules on a Single Permit and a clear set of rights for legal migrant workers.

The European Council held a special meeting with a view to adopting different orientations to address the tragic situation in the Mediterranean.

A 10 point action plan of the immediate actions has been presented by Commissioner Avramopoulos and received the full backing of Foreign and Interior Ministers.

Today, 1 April, the Belgian EMN NCP met the State Secretary for Asylum and Migration to outline EMN activities and to explore how the EMN can be of greater use to policy makers, especially in the framework of EU benchmarking.

The EASO Newsletter for March 2015 has been issued.

A pan-european operation dismantled a migrant smuggling network, generating 77 arrests.