The Return Expert Group (REG) within the EMN conducted a successful workshop dedicated to advancing multistakeholder governance towards case resolution of undocumented migrants. Facilitated by EMN Belgium and the Belgian Federal Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (Fedasil), this event focused on fostering connections between national authorities, local administrations and civil society organisations (CSOs). 

This virtual event is part of the OECD COP28 Virtual Pavilion, which runs from 23 November to 12 December 2023. The pavilion presents key OECD contributions with insights to drive ambitious and globally effective action on climate change.

The 4th edition of the annual Migration & Health Seminar, jointly organised by the Institute of Tropical Medicine and the University of Antwerp (MIGLOBA; previously CEMIS), will focus on mental health and migration.

This conference will focus on access to education and the role of education in the development and social inclusion of migrant children. It will be an opportunity for networking and experience sharing between partners who are working on questions related to the well-being of migrant children, as well as an opportunity to bring in different perspectives from other (selected) EU Member States, which have reported developments on access to education for migrant children in the last few years.

In a press release published today, Doctors of the World declared that it opposes a new article of the draft law presented by Nicole de Moor, providing for the possibility of carrying out medical examinations under constraint to facilitate the forced return of third-country nationals. Doctors of the World says this measure risks further complicating access to health care for these particularly vulnerable people.

This conference organised by the Finnish Contact Point of the EMN aims to promote dialogue between different actors and to find new perspectives on how to develop the assessment of the best interests of the child in migration processes.

Nicole de Moor presented today a draft law which aims, in accordance with the federal government agreement, to enshrine in law a proactive return policy. The draft law inter alia provides for the obligation to cooperate in the return procedure and for the intensive individual follow up of third-country nationals who have received an order to leave the territory.

Samusocial, CIRÉ, Médecins du Monde, Ilot and the Brussels Platform Armoede have launched the campaign "Without papers, without rights, without shelter" to demonstrate the reality of undocumented persons and to propose concrete recommendations to policymakers in this field.

The World Health Organization has published its first-ever global research agenda on health, migration and displacement to guide research efforts to understand and address the health needs of migrants, refugees, and all forcibly displaced populations and shape responsive policies and practices worldwide. 

After the terrorist attack perpetrated by an illegally staying failed asylum seeker in the centre of Brussels on 16 October, various policymakers plead for better follow-up of failed asylum seekers and stricter enforcement of orders to leave the territory.

In its judgment in Case C-143/22 | ADDE and Others, the Court of Justice of the European Union ruled today that the Return Directive applies to any third-country national who has entered the territory of a Member State without fulfilling the conditions of entry, stay or residence. That also applies when the person concerned has entered that territory even before crossing a border crossing point where such checks are carried out.

The organisation reports a huge increase in the number of vulnerable young asylum seekers who disappear in Belgium. The number of disappearances could double this year, compared to 2022 which had 136 cases.

In its judgment in Case T-600/21 | WS and Others v Frontex, the General Court dismissed today the action of a number of Syrian refugees who had brought a claim for compensation before the General Court of the European Union. The applicants claimed that Frontex engaged in improper conduct with regard to them.

The EMN Slovakia Educational Seminar on Migration is a learning platform about migration that fosters networking, experience sharing, and discussions among (inter)national experts and participants. The seminar has been organised by IOM as the coordinator of the EMN activities in Slovakia with funding from the European Union since 2012, each year on a specific migration-related topic.

The conference organised by the Italian National Contact Point of the European Migration Network (EMN) will focus on violence against foreign minors. It will explore solutions to prevent the phenomenon, to further develop staff training and efficiently take charge of the victims.

Frontex is launching a new open call for proposals aimed at concluding new framework partnership agreements to provide post-arrival and post-return assistance in 39 countries of origin, with qualified service providers from the non-profit sector, international organisations and national authorities from EU Member States and Schengen Associated Countries for a period of two and a half years. 

Today, the Secretary of State for Asylum and Migration Nicole de Moor, the Minister of the Interior Annelies Verlinden, Fedasil, Child Focus, the Office of the Commissioner General for Refugees and Stateless Persons, and the Guardianship Service presented together a guide aimed at preventing and resolving the disappearance of unaccompanied foreign minors.

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!