This morning, EMN Belgium participated in a roundtable, moderated by Special Envoy on Migration and Asylum Lieven De la Marche, with the contribution of representatives of the cabinet of the Secretary of State for Asylum and Migration, the Belgian Development Agency (Enabel) and the coalition for international solidarity (11.11.11). Belgian actors could share their views on the report which was presented to them.

Myria has published the second thematic section of its 2023 annual report. This section entitled "Humanitarian and medical regularisation" reports that 2.038 persons were regularized on humanitarian grounds in Belgium in 2022 (10% less than in 2021) and 248 persons were authorised to reside in Belgium on medical grounds in 2022 (against 1,330 people whose application was refused).

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen agreed to strengthen cooperation between the EU and UK on migration through developing a new working arrangement between UK agencies and Frontex, enabling them to "work together on critical operational and strategic challenges including the situation in the Channel". 

This report is part of the Commission's initiative to further reinforce the Schengen governance through a yearly reporting exercise presenting the state of Schengen, identifying challenges and best practices, as well as priority areas for action. The State of Schengen Report 2023 will serve as basis for political discussions and steer at the Council on 8 June 2023.

The Secretary of State for Asylum and Migration Nicole de Moor signed today an agreement with the Senegalese Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Annette Seck. Belgium and Senegal agreed to cooperate on the return of irregularly staying Senegalese nationals and on legal migration.

Today marks a decade and a half of the European Migration Network (EMN) providing objective and reliable migration and asylum information. Throughout the years, the EMN has been meeting the information needs of Community institutions and of Member States’ authorities and institutions on migration and asylum, and supporting policymaking in these areas.

On 11 and 12 May 2023, EMN Belgium participated in the Swedish Presidency Conference. Many actors were invited to contribute: professors, researchers, policy-makers, analysts, development actors, national government officials – both from EU countries and beyond – and EU officials, representatives of international organisations and NGOs.

Today, the Internal Market Committee and the Civil Liberties Committee adopted a draft negotiating mandate on the first-ever rules for Artificial Intelligence (AI). MEPs substantially amended the list to include bans on intrusive and discriminatory uses of AI systems. They also expanded the classification of high-risk areas.

The European Migration Network (EMN) Glossary is an essential resource, which offers an EU-wide multidisciplinary vocabulary of approximately 500 terms and concepts related to asylum and migration. Let's focus today on the term "environmentally displaced person" to make sure we have a common understanding and use of the term!

Thanks to this collaboration, young people from all over the country will be able to volunteer in the reception centers and young asylum seekers will be able to get involved in society outside the center where they are staying.

In 2022, 141 060 non-EU citizens were refused entry into the EU territory while 1.08 million were found to be illegally present in one of the EU countries. The number of non-EU citizens issued with an order to leave an EU Member State was 422 400. Following an order to leave, 96 795 non-EU citizens were returned to another country (including other EU countries), and of this, 77 530 were returned outside the EU.

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 Fair Recruitment Initiative (FRI) was launched in 2014 as part of the International Labour Organization (ILO) Director General’s call for a Fair Migration Agenda. Since its launch, the FRI has been critical to ILO’s work in the area of national and international recruitment of workers.

Given the ticking clock, the European Commission reviews the state of affairs regarding progress on the New Pact on Migration and Asylum and ECRE shares concerns about the possible outcomes of the current negotiations. 

Today the European Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ylva Johansson, traveled to Tunisia, showing the importance of the migration partnership between Tunisia and the EU and the willingness for such partnership to be deepened in cooperation with the EU Member States. 

Myria has published the first thematic section of its 2023 annual report. This section entitled "Access to the territory" presents the main key figures relating to short and long-stay visas as well as the different reasons and nationalities that stood out in 2022.

In the first three months of this year, 959 irregularly staying third-country nationals were subject to forced return from Belgium. That is twice as many as in the same period last year, when it concerned 502 persons.

The European Migration Network (EMN) Glossary is an essential resource, which offers an EU-wide multidisciplinary vocabulary of approximately 500 terms and concepts related to asylum and migration. Let's focus today on the term "best interests of the child" to make sure we have a common understanding and use of the term!

Members in the European Parliament (MEPs) agreed to open talks with EU Member States on key migration and asylum policy files. Following the plenary’s green light, MEPs may open talks on the final form of these legislative texts with the Council on those files for which the Member States have already agreed on their own position, notably the screening procedures. 

Ahead of the Artificial Intelligence Act vote in the European Parliament, a coalition of human rights organisations is calling on EU lawmakers to include provisions in the proposed EU AI Act to protect people from AI surveillance technologies used in migration.

Today EMN Belgium visited its Dutch counterpart in The Hague to exchange best practices and establish future collaboration. A great opportunity to meet in person and strengthen the European Migration Network!

According to the Court of Justice of the EU, European Union law precludes national legislation which requires, without exception, that an application for family reunification be submitted in person at a competent diplomatic post.

Today EMN Belgium visited Enabel partners to discuss themes and activities of common interest. Both the EMN Belgium team and the Enabel staff members in charge of human mobility and of strategic partnerships look forward to working together even more closely in the future.

In an attempt to determine the real population of the country, including undocumented migrant people, VUB demographers applied a simple but innovative statistical method that they believe has provided the most accurate figures possible.

Today, Italy declared a state of emergency over the “sharp rise” in the number of migrants arriving on the country’s shores through the dangerous Mediterranean route. It’s the first time Italy has resorted to such a drastic measure since 2011.