During this event, key challenges associated with the European return system will be examined, including divergences in Member States’ practices and obstacles to forced return. The conference will then focus on ongoing legislative developments and their implications for migration management and the Schengen area. Participants will discuss the role of a common and effective return system in supporting cooperation and migration management under the new Pact on Migration and Asylum.

On 17 November 2025, the City of Brussels adopted a motion for a welcoming, responsible and caring city, opposing the draft law allowing judicially authorised home searches for irregularly staying migrants. The motion emphasises that security and human dignity are inextricably linked and states that Brussels must remain a welcoming, responsible and just city, faithful to its constitutional and European obligations.

Belgium has laid the first stone of a new short-stay departure centre in Steenokkerzeel, aimed at housing individuals in irregular stay pending return. The 50-place facility is scheduled to open by the end of 2026. It forms part of a broader plan to expand and improve the country’s closed centres.

Belgium and Morocco have signed an agreement to strengthen cooperation across multiple areas, aiming for concrete and measurable results. The deal covers security, justice, economic development, and migration. Belgium has also committed to supporting Morocco’s autonomy proposal for Western Sahara, a region that has been at the centre of an international dispute for nearly fifty years.

On 16 October 2025, twenty EU Member States signed a joint letter urging the European Commission to take coordinated steps to enable voluntary and forced return to Afghanistan. The initiative, led by Belgian Minister for Asylum and Migration Anneleen Van Bossuyt, calls for a coherent European approach to address cases of Afghan nationals residing irregularly in the EU, particularly those posing a threat to public order or national security. The signatories stress that credible migration policies require effective return mechanisms and call for tangible progress by the end of the year.

In March 2025, the European Commission proposed a regulation establishing a common return system for third-country nationals staying illegally in the EU. Médecins du Monde and PICUM have published a report highlighting potential risks associated with the proposal, particularly concerning access to healthcare and data protection. The report outlines how the proposal may affect the rights of individuals, including vulnerable groups, and raises ethical concerns for professionals. The organisations call on EU lawmakers to ensure that the regulation respects fundamental rights and medical ethics.

Belgian Ministers of Justice and Asylum and Migration, Annelies Verlinden and Anneleen Van Bossuyt, visited Albania and Kosovo on 6–8 October 2025. Their discussions addressed migration management, prison overcrowding, and bilateral cooperation in justice and security. Meetings involved national authorities and highlighted ongoing collaboration between Belgium and the two countries.

The Fedasil Info Point in Brussels has been supporting asylum seekers and other migrants for two years, providing accessible and centralised information in one location. Since reopening on 27 September 2023 at the former Bordet Hospital site, it has welcomed over 22.000 visitors, mostly single men with ongoing asylum procedures. Visitors most frequently ask about accommodation, medical care, legal support, and other practical matters. Partners such as Caritas International and the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA) assist in providing guidance and support.

Fedasil is organising an exhibition on voluntary return and reintegration at the Wintercircus. The Ghent-based Magnum photographer Carl De Keyzer portrays the stories of, among others, Rosa from El Salvador and Igis from Albania. This exhibition is organised in collaboration with Caritas International and the International Organization for Migration, with the support of AMIF.

The Council of the European Union has adopted a recommendation outlining a common framework for the gradual transition of displaced Ukrainians out of temporary protection. The measures aim to support sustainable return and reintegration in Ukraine when conditions allow, while also facilitating access to other residence statuses for those eligible. The recommendation provides guidance on voluntary return, reintegration support and information systems for displaced persons.

The European Commission’s proposed Return Regulation introduces measures to increase return rates across the EU. These include extended detention periods, returns to non-EU countries with no prior personal ties, offshore “return hubs”, and obligations for individuals subject to return orders. Over 200 civil society organisations have raised concerns about fundamental rights, legal uncertainty, and disproportionate impacts. They call on EU institutions to withdraw the proposal and reject it in its current form.

Eight officers from the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) have started work at Brussels Airport to assist in return operations. They will operate alongside Belgian police to increase the number of returns. Their deployment follows the adoption of national legislation and a Royal Decree defining their powers and operational zones.

The Belgian Council of Ministers has approved a draft law enabling home searches, with judicial authorisation, in cases involving non-cooperative foreign nationals facing return and posing a threat to public order or national security. The measure is similar to one previously discussed in 2018 and will now be submitted to the Council of State for its opinion. Several civil society organisations have expressed concerns about its implications.

At their meeting on 13 June 2025, EU Home Affairs Ministers reached a political agreement to extend by one year, until March 2027, the temporary protection for people displaced from Ukraine. They also discussed ways to improve readmission cooperation with third countries and endorsed new priorities for the Schengen area.

Amnesty International and the Human Rights League are proposing a meeting with Françoise Tulkens, former judge and Vice-President of the European Court of Human Rights, and Manuela Cadelli, judge at the Court of First Instance of Namur, to examine the consequences of the letter from nine European authorities calling for a new interpretation of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). 

On 4 June 2025, the European Commission proposed extending temporary protection for displaced persons fleeing the conflict in Ukraine until 4 March 2027. The proposal aims to provide legal certainty to beneficiaries and Member States by maintaining a consistent standard of protection across the European Union. Additionally, the Commission proposed a set of measures to facilitate a coordinated transition out of temporary protection.

The conference will explore the future of Ukrainian displaced persons beyond temporary protection and will bring together policymakers, experts, and stakeholders to discuss strategies for policy transitions, address employment related integration challenges, share best practices, and examine the role of the diaspora in supporting long-term solutions.

In response to a recent call by several European Heads of State to reinterpret the European Convention on Human Rights, six Belgian human rights institutions have voiced strong concerns. They warn that such initiatives risk undermining the authority and independence of the European Court of Human Rights. The institutions urge the Belgian federal government to remain consistent with its international commitments and to clearly reaffirm its support for the Court and the Convention.