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”

In a strategic Communication adopted today, the Commission examines how the implementation and development of the common visa policy could help growth in the EU by facilitating travel opportunities for third country nationals willing to visit the EU.

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.

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.

In view of the new legal framework and the interest taken by civil society in the EU's management of external borders, including its fundamental rights dimension, the Ombudsman seeks to clarify, by an own-initiative inquiry, the implementation by Frontex of its fundamental rights obligations.

The annual conference on the Schengen area (Academy of European Law) intents to provide legal practitioners with an in-depth analysis of the European Commission's proposed Regulation on the establishment of an evaluation and monitoring mechanism to verify the application of the Schengen acquis.

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

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.

On 30 June 2012 the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the European Union, taking over the Danish Presidency, presented its 6 months programme. Asylum, Migration and Borders is one of the priorities of the Cyprus Presidency's Operational Programme.

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.

Based on judgement in case C-83/12 Minh Koa Vo, a Member State may impose criminal penalties for aiding illegal immigration when the persons who have entered the Union territory, national of non member countries, hold visas fraudulently obtained but not yet annulled.

The Ministers responsible for asylum and migration of Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, The Netherlands, Sweden and the United Kingdom met in Brussels on 7 March 2012 to discuss measures in the field of combating illegal immigration

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.