The report provides an in‑depth overview of Belgium’s status for smuggling victims, highlighting its objectives, legal framework, and practical implementation. It examines how the status is applied, who benefits from it, and the operational challenges encountered. The publication also identifies gaps in data collection and coordination between agencies. Finally, it offers evidence‑based recommendations to strengthen victim protection and improve the overall effectiveness of the system.

This ad hoc query examines whether EMN Member and Observer Countries have age assessment procedures in place, how these procedures are conducted, and which actors are responsible. It also explores the challenges encountered and how they are addressed. Finally, it examines whether the respondent countries plan to introduce a new procedure or amend an existing one in the near future.

The report compiles available figures for the period 2015–2024 and examines how data are recorded, shared and used. It provides a clearer statistical basis for understanding the situation of minors at risk of trafficking and aggravated forms of smuggling, while identifying structural gaps in current data systems.

Myria, the Federal Migration Centre and independent national rapporteur on trafficking in human beings, published its independent and public annual report “Victims: Seeing Them and Listening to Them” on 8 December 2025. The report draws attention to the psychological vulnerabilities of victims of human trafficking and calls, inter alia, for strengthened training and specialisation of professionals on the specific psychological vulnerabilities and needs of these victims.

This ad hoc query maps the legislation and current practices in EU Member States regarding the use of the European travel document for the return of irregularly staying third-country nationals (TCNs). It provides an overview of whether the document is used in practice, which third countries accept it, whether established operational procedures exist, and to what extent the document is recognised for transit purposes.

The Belgian authorities launched this ad hoc query to understand how other Member States provide information to third-country nationals in the context of return, in order to fulfil their obligation under the Return Directive, and to assess whether making this information available via a website or IT application would be considered sufficient to meet these requirements.

This ad hoc query examines how EMN Member Countries use new technologies to address language barriers during return procedures for third-country nationals. It investigates the deployment of tools such as translation software, handheld devices, mobile apps, and artificial intelligence throughout the return process. The query also reviews relevant legal and data protection frameworks and the application of these tools in key return-related activities like identification, communication of decisions, and detention procedures.

This EMN study examines how 25 countries address the international dimension of human trafficking, encompassing prevention, law enforcement, victim support, and international partnerships. It presents national approaches, good practices and persistent challenges, both within EMN countries and in cooperation with third countries. Readers will find examples of institutional cooperation, capacity-building efforts, and initiatives targeting specific regions or groups. The study also highlights how recent EU policy developments are shaping national anti-trafficking strategies.

This ad hoc query, launched by EMN Belgium, explores whether authorities in EMN Member Countries are permitted to search the electronic devices of irregularly staying third-country nationals in the context of return. It examines the legal conditions under which such searches may take place, the categories of individuals concerned, the availability of related statistics, and the perceived impact on identification processes. The query also invites information on challenges encountered and any planned legislative developments in this area.

This ad hoc query examines the voluntary return procedures for Ukrainian nationals granted temporary protection in EU Member States, focusing on the support provided for their return and reintegration. The aim is to understand the various national approaches to facilitating voluntary returns, including whether reintegration assistance is offered and how these programmes are funded.

This ad hoc query examines how EMN Member and Observer Countries use service providers for return and reintegration services. It covers whether countries manage operations directly or rely on service providers, details on contracts and procurement methods used, and how they assess European Procurement Regulations when choosing procurement approaches, including any exceptions justifying direct contracts.

This ad hoc query looks into the time limit within which an administrative authority may detain, without judicial review, an applicant for international protection or an irregularly staying third-country national who is subject to return.

Myria, the Federal Migration Centre and independent national rapporteur on trafficking in human beings, published its independent and public annual report "Latin American Sex Work: A Risky Carousel" on 18 December 2024. Myria draws attention to the phenomenon of Latin American sex work and calls for adapting the fight against trafficking to the new realities linked to the digital world.

This manual, aimed at both workplace inspection staff and trainers, intends to empower them to enforce the protective standards in EU law that safeguard the rights of third-country workers, including seasonal workers, migrant workers with temporary permits and migrants in an irregular situation. 

This Inform explores good practices and challenges in the coordination between different stakeholders and between different stages of return and reintegration of third-country nationals in EMN Member and Observer Countries. It explains how improved coordination among stakeholders, enhanced institutional frameworks, and effective national strategies can facilitate a consistent and structured approach to return and reintegration across Europe.

This ad hoc query examines how various EU Member States have implemented Article 15 of the Return Directive (2008/115/EU), Article 8 of the Reception Conditions Directive (2013/33/EU), and Article 28 of the Dublin Regulation (EU 604/2013), all of which pertain to the detention of third-country nationals.

This publication, entitled "Tackling threat, addressing challenges - Europol's response to migrant smuggling and trafficking in human beings in 2023 and onwards", looks into the latest developments and main threats in migrant smuggling and trafficking in human beings (THB) based on the most recent operations supported by Europol. It highlights the main challenges presented by the current criminal landscape and aims to help law enforcement step up the fight against criminal networks.

This ad hoc query examines which alternatives to detention are most commonly used, especially for families with children, and how the effectiveness of the alternatives to detention is assessed. It further analyses which elements (indicators, statements, etc.) are taken into account before imposing an alternative to detention and what challenges are faced in this matter.

Under Council Directive 2004/81/EC, EU Member States have the option to grant residence permits to third-country nationals who have been the subject of an action to facilitate illegal immigration, such as smuggling. This ad hoc query seeks to map which Member States have implemented this possibility, and to what extent this residence procedure is used in practice.

The general report 2023 of the Council of Europe's Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA) includes a stocktaking of the third evaluation round of the Convention, which focused on trafficking victims’ access to justice and effective remedies. GRETA analyses trends emerging from its country reports, drawing attention to gaps in the implementation of the Convention, as well as promising practices.

Myria, the Federal Migration Centre and independent national rapporteur on trafficking in human beings, published its independent and public annual report "A chain of responsibilities" on 19 December 2023.

Within the framework of the Return Expert Group (REG), this ad hoc query aims to identify innovative collaborations related to multistakeholder governance. The focus is on partnerships between national authorities, local authorities, and civil society organizations to facilitate information sharing, guidance, and case resolution for migrants with return decisions or those remaining undocumented and off the radar of national authorities. 

The Swedish government has established a committee to review aspects of Swedish legislation concerning the return procedures for third-country nationals. The committee's goal is to propose new measures and revisions to existing laws to enhance the effectiveness of the return process. Consequently, they initiated an ad hoc query to gather information about the regulations related to the limited validity period of return decisions and the duration of entry bans.

At the beginning of 2023, a coordination meeting of the directors of the Belgian closed detention centers was held. At this meeting, they expressed their concern about the significant increase in the trafficking of drugs inside their centers. That’s why EMN Belgium was asked to launch an ad hoc query in order to gather information on how this issue is addressed in the other Member States.  

This ad hoc query, launched by Luxembourg, examines what guidelines, procedures, and possible best practices are in place when LGBTIQ+ individuals are detained.