On the occasion of the international migrants day, this conference will inter alia focus on how to integrate and support refugees and on which role Flemish authorities can play in the current crisis.

The Commission is proposing to establish a European Border and Coast Guard and also to introduce systematic checks against relevant databases for all people entering and exiting the Schengen area.

During this workshop, day-to-day making and unmaking of borders will be investigated from the perspective of history, policy making, surveillance and control, contestation and human agency.

In the context of the unprecedented influx of refugees and migrants, the COMECE wishes to look behind the immediate horizon of the crisis and consider how best to integrate migrants into the host society.

"Inburgering" and Integration are being quantitatively and qualitatively brought to light and examined in several specific fields: education, living conditions, labour market, entrepreneurship and rights.

Justice and Home Affairs Ministers met in Brussels to discuss how to strengthen the following measures, inter alia: EU Passenger Name Record Directive, controls of external borders, information sharing and law enforcement cooperation.

As from 9 November 2015, an asylum seeker can obtain a C work permit four months after applying for asylum. The 6 month period was cut to 4 months by a Royal Decree which entered into force today.

The European Commission collects views and opinions, as well as ideas and knowledge, to elaborate a revised Smart Borders Package.

The declaration presenting some of the key principles of the European Convention on Human Rights and the Belgian Constitution will be submitted to foreigners arriving in the country.

Today, the European Commission launched a public consultation on the "Smart Borders Package", one of the priorities included in the European Agenda on Migration. All citizens (EU nationals and non-EU nationals) and organisations are invited to contribute.

The Centre for Ethnic and Migration Studies (CEDEM) of the University of Liège will hold a scientific thematic workshop on “Religion and the political participation and mobilization of immigrant groups: a transatlantic perspective”

A 10 point action plan of the immediate actions has been presented by Commissioner Avramopoulos and received the full backing of Foreign and Interior Ministers.

On Sunday, 15 March the project on Smart Borders Pilot reached the next milestone - the execution phase – in Lisbon Airport, Portugal.

On 20 January, the Belgian Association for foreigners’ rights organizes a training on the topic “What protection for seriously ill persons following M’Bodj and Abdida case-law?”.

The first meeting of the European Migration Forum will take place on 26-27 January 2015 in Brussels. Through a participatory approach and the involvement of civil society organizations, the European Migration Forum will provide a platform for exchanges on migration, asylum and integration issues.