As of 1 January 2018, certain third-country nationals have the obligation to follow an integration programme in the German-speaking Community.

Today an amending regulation came into force, establishing a new common design and enhanced security features for residence permit cards in the EU.

The Migration Policy Institute Europe (MPI Europe), the United States Mission to the European Union, the Mission of Canada to the European Union, and the European Economic and Social Committee will organise a conference on 'Social innovation for refugee inclusion: Maintaining momentum and creating lasting change'. 

A joint European Migration Network & OECD event exploring the topics of family migration and illegal employment took place in Brussels on 9 November 2017.

The Commission and the European Economic and Social Committee are organising a conference on "From Crisis Management Towards Everyday Practice: Lessons from the refugees' integration for future labour market and social policies", on 6 November in Brussels.

On the 26th of October 2017 the general policy note on asylum and migration of the State Secretary for Asylum and Migration was published. The policy note provides an overview of the main achievements and priorities in the field of asylum and migration.

Today, the Belgian National Contact Point of the European Migration Network organized an event in Brussels to discuss the irregular employment of third country nationals.

In the summer of 2017, more and more transit migrants, who wish to go to the UK, were staying in the Maximilian park in Brussels. The Belgian government did not want this park to become ‘a new Calais’. A number of transit migrants were intercepted and detained. Because a lot of them were presumed Sudanese, a Sudanese delegation was invited to come to Belgium for identification. Left-wing politicians and NGOs stressed that the Sudanese regime’s human rights record is particularly worrying. Campaigns were organised to better inform the transit migrants. On 04.10.2017 these issues were debated in the Belgian Parliament.

The European Commission published a mid-term review of what has been achieved so far in delivering the European Agenda on Migration. It also sets out new initiatives from the Commission to address key areas, and identifies where further efforts are needed in the coming months.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM), published data on recent arrivals in Europe.  Compared with the 273,000 migrants who landed from January through Aug. 27, 2016, about 121,000 arrived during the same period this year. Furthermore, there was no evidence of any migrant dying in the Mediterranean since Aug. 9

The State Secretary for Asylum Policy and Migration Theo Francken and the Walloon Minister for Employment have signed on 29 August a collaboration agreement intended to foster the socio-professional insertion of asylum seekers.

Following up on the Commission's Action Plan to support Italy from 4 July, the EU Trust Fund for Africa adopted today a programme worth €46 million to reinforce the integrated migration and border management capacities of the Libyan authorities.

The Odysseus Network, with the support of the Belgian Contact Point of the EMN, organizes an evening debate focusing on "Immigrant Integration Policies of Belgian Regions: A Mirror of the Diversity in the EU?"

An ordinance of the Joint Community Commission of Brussels - which was published in the Belgian Gazette today - establishes a mandatory integration programme for newcomers in Brussels. 

CNCD 11.11.11 and other organizations including CIRÉ, Médecins du Monde and Amnesty International, organize debates, testimonies and social and cultural encounters in different regions in Belgium to promote a different approach on migrations.

This info day will inform participants on the EU financial support and ways to optimize its use in the integration work. Participants will also be able to exchange good practices in this matter.

This roundtable discussion will examine how public bodies and NGOs can better communicate with refugees to support integration.