The European Committee of Social Rights (ECSR) judgement dated from 23 October 2012, highlighting some deficiencies in foreign children's rights in Belgium, was published today.

The the January/February edition of the European Asylum Support Office’s newsletter was launched.

At the occasion of the IE EMN NCP conference in Dublin, a wide audience, including national policy makers and experts as well as representatives from the Commission and other NCPs, discussed protection challenges.

On 29th November in Paris, the French NCP organised a conference on the CEAS. The next day there was a EMN-Cluster Meeting on reception conditions for asylum seekers in the EU: "existing mechanisms and good practices”

The Justice and Home Affairs Council (JHA) achieved a Political Agreement on the Reception Conditions Directive, discussed recent developments in Syria and council conclusions were endorsed concerning the new EU strategy to combat human trafficking.

This Conference, organised by the EMN CY NCP within the framework of the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU, will support the policymaking process in the field of immigration and international students, notably in the development of the planned review of Council Directive 2004/114/EC.

The Belgian Council of Ministers decided to provide a subsidy to finance prefabricated schools in Syrian refugee camps in Turkey. The assistance is provided in the framework of the policy on conflict prevention of Foreign Affairs.

This conference will close the ARCKA project « Assessing, recognizing competences and certifying knowledge acquisition valuing human capital of children of foreign origin in education and training in Europe » that is cofinanced by the European Commission.

The European Parliament's Committee on Civil Liberties (LIBE) gave the green light to an agreement to recast the Reception Conditions Directive.

From 1 June to 23 August 2012, the consultation collects opinions on future rules on the entry and residence of non-EU national researchers, students, school pupils, unremunerated trainees and volunteers in the EU, with a view to the revision of the students and researchers Directives.

The law of January 19, 2012 introduced the concept of a “return track” for asylum seekers, a framework for individual counseling on return, offered by the Federal Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (Fedasil). New instructions implement this return track in the reception centres.

The European University Institute in Florence proposes its VIII Migration Summer School from Monday 25 June to Friday 6 July 2012.

On 2 May, Representatives of the Parliament of the French community unanimously approved the reform of the reception and education of foreign newcomer children, improving and making "bridging classes" more flexible.

The annual report of the Federal Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (Fedasil) has been launced. Fedasil updates you on the voluntary return program that it runs as well as the reception situation and network in 2011.

On February 17,2012 the law of January 19, 2012: “Law for modification of the legislation regarding the reception of asylum seekers” was published.

The new Secretary of State for Asylum and Migration and for Social Integration, Maggie De Block (Open VLD) presented today her policy paper on reception in the Parliament.

ECtHR finds Belgium violated Article 3 and 5 of the European Convention on Human Rights by detaining a mother and three children during asylum procedure