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. 

On the 26th of October 2018 the general policy note on asylum and migration of the State Secretary for Asylum and Migration was published. The policy note provides an overview of the main achievements and priorities in the field of asylum and migration.

Europol launched a new report about child trafficking. It provides a comprehensive view on who the victims are and who the criminal networks are that trafficking the children in and into the EU. 

The Intergovernmental Conference to adopt the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration  takes place in Marrakech, Morocco on the 10th and 11th of December 2018

On 10 September, the Belgian Minister of Security and the Interior and the State Secretary for Asylum Policy and Migration presented a 9-point action plan on the fight against irregular transit migration.

In his State of the Union, President Jean-Claude Juncker presented proposals to ensure full EU solidarity on migration and better protection of Europe's external borders. The Commission is proposing to reinforce the European Border and Coast Guard and the EU's Agency for Asylum and is proposing a targeted review of the Return Directive.

This report provides a broad overview of recent trends in international migration flows and migration policies in OECD countries and some non-OECD countries.

As of 11 August, irregularly staying families with minor children can be detained with a view to removal in family housing on the grounds of the closed detention centre 127bis.

Today, the Commission is expanding on the concept of controlled centres as well as short-term measures that could be taken to improve the processing of migrants being disembarked in the EU, and giving a first outline of the possible way forward for the establishment of regional disembarkation arrangements with third countries.

Today, the State Secretary for Asylum Policy and Migration and his Tunisian counterpart signed an agreement which focuses on cooperation regarding migration and return.

The Belgian State Secretary for Asylum Policy and Migration carried out information missions in Albania and in Georgia, respectively in April and June 2018.

The EASO Annual Report on the Situation of Asylum in the European Union 2017 provides a comprehensive overview of developments at European level and at the level of national asylum systems. Based on a wide range of sources, the Report looks into main statistical trends and analyses changes in EU+ countries as regards their legislation, policies, practices, as well as national case law. 

Today, 10 families with a humanitarian visa arrived in Zaventem. They will apply for international protection once in Belgium. They will be hosted in Christian communities, in cooperation with Caritas, during the first year.

Home Affairs Ministers met in Brussels and discussed inter alia the Dublin reform which gripped the political center stage of the broader asylum debate.

On the 31st of May and 1st of June, the Bulgarian Contact Point of the EMN - in the framework of the Bulgarian Presidency of the Council - organized the EMN Annual Conference. The conference was dedicated to  challenges and success factors in managing migration flows. 

The Royal Decree of 23 April 2018 introduced changes with regards to extending or ending the stay of international students. It details – inter alia – in which cases an order to leave the territory can be issued to a student when he/she extends his/her studies in an excessive manner considering the results.

In this report, the Commission is reporting on progress made under the European Agenda on Migration and the Commission's roadmap from December 2017, and is setting out further key actions to be taken.

Eurostat published a statistical analysis on the number of unaccompanied minors who applied for international protection in 2017. the 31,400 applications represent an important decrease compared to previous years. 

In 2018, the European Migration Network (EMN) celebrates its 10 year anniversary. On this occasion, the EMN organized a conference on 15 May in Brussels.

Commissioner Avramopoulos has congratulated the EMN on it's approaching 10th anniversary in a speech. 

In a judgment handed down today, the EU Court of Justice responded to a Dutch prejudicial question on family reunification of (unaccompanied minor) refugees. Following the reasoning of the Court, an unaccompanied minor who attains the age of majority during the asylum procedure retains its right to family reunification.

Following the release of its EASO Guidance on reception conditions: operational standards and indicators in December 2016, EASO has just issued the EASO guidance on contingency planning in the context of reception.

To raise awareness about illegal employment of third-country nationals in Belgium and the EU, and to draw attention to the EMN studies on this subject, the Belgian Contact Point of the EMN has made a short video.                                      

Two United Nations agencies are joining forces to combat migrant smuggling. They organized an event centering on a Joint Platform on Countering Migrant Smuggling.