The Foreign affairs (development) Council meeting of 12 December 2014 has adopted a number of conclusions in the field of migration and development cooperation emphasizing the positive migration and development circle and orientations to strengthen this relation.

As part of the implementation of the government agreement of October 2014 as well as of the new reception scheme, the reduction of available reception places for asylum seekers has been approved by the Council of Ministers of 11 December 2014.

On 4 December 2014, 22 Syrian refugees landed in Belgium for resettlement. 53 more are expected to arrive by the end of the year. Further resettlements of Syrian refugees are planned in 2015.

On the occasion of 25 November 2014 EP Plenary Debate on Migration, EU new Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship, Dimitris Avramopoulos, introduced the debate and presented the EU main orientations and policy fields for an integrated approach on migration and asylum

On 20 October 2014, the European Ombudsman, Emily O'Reilly, has opened an investigation into how Frontex ensures the respect of fundamental rights of migrants who are subject to forced returns from the EU to their countries of origin.

After ten years of support to families, through its centre of private international family law, the ADDE proposes to study some actual problems experienced by the beneficiaries of the centre.

In the past few days more than 300 people died as a consequence of three different incidents with vessels that were trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea from North Africa to Europe.

The Royal decree of 15 May 2014 entered into force today, determining conditions of application for internal measures and sanctions to guarantee or restore the order, security and tranquility in reception centers.

This year, the EMN Conference aims to support the policymaking process on a number of key areas of irregular migration policy, namely readmission, return, reintegration and cooperation with countries of transit and origin, as well as re-entry bans and (alternatives to) detention.

The 7th Meeting of the Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD) will take place in Stockholm on 14-16 May 2014. The GFMD Civil Society Days are held prior to the meeting, on 12-13 May 2014.

In preparation of the Global Forum on Migration and Development Meeting in Stockholm the 14th to 16th May the Transatlantic Council on Migration published a Council Statement: How Migration Can Advance Development Goals.

Prof. Luis E. Guarnizo (University of California, Davis) will explore the epistemic and ontological origins and evolution of transnationalism as an analytical perspective in migration studies since its origins in the early 1990s.

Tunisia and the EU today formally established a Mobility Partnership. Belgium is one of the ten EU Member States involved in the Partnership.

Tunisia and the EU today formally established a Mobility Partnership. Together with nine other EU Member States, Belgium is involved in the Partnership and signed the joint Declaration.

In a report adopted today the Commission looks at important achievements in strengthening dialogue and cooperation in EU's external migration and asylum policy, but recognizes that more should be done to make further progress.