On 11 November 2014, the European Commission has released its 6th bi-annual report on the functioning of the Schengen area covering the period from 1 May to 31 October 2014.

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.

The IOM Country Office for Belgium and Luxembourg organize an event to illustrate the positive contribution of migrants, in various domains and to highlight some concrete examples of their contributions to the host societies at the international, European, and Belgian levels.

This International Symposium aims to discuss the current challenges of migration and integration in Europe, and to reignite the debate about an EU-wide strategy to improve integration policies across Member States.

The Centre for the History of Migrants (CGM) organizes an international workshop to analyze how policies and practices travel, especially between the Netherlands and Belgium as neighbouring countries with more or less similar immigration histories.

On 12 and 13 June 2014, the European Migration Network Conference 2014 took place on "Irregular migration and return: challenges and practices". The Conference was organised in Athens, within the framework of the Hellenic Presidency of the EU Council.

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.

TRICUD Final International Conference aims at presenting the main findings of the multidisciplinary research programme TRICUD (2010-2014) on post-migratory cities and transnational flows, the dynamics of identities and the process of cultural diversification.

The summit took stock of progress made on Roma inclusion in the EU. It focused on three major themes: making policies inclusive for all Roma at the local level; making EU funding reach the local and regional authorities; making Roma integration a local reality.

In a Communication adopted today, the Commission stresses that Member States have generally ensured that the Return Directive is transposed in their national law but that there is scope for improvement in the practical implementation of the Directive and of return policies in general.

Today, on 14 February 2014, the first meeting took place of the Return and Reintegration Experts' Group (REG) under auspices of the European Migration Network. REG incorporates the former work of the Voluntary Return European Network.

Helga de Valk, Professor aan de Vrije Universiteit Brussel, is willing to show that applying the sociological life course approach to migration and integration research may advance our understanding of immigrant settlement patterns and further develop the life course perspective.

The ERI Final Conference, which will take place in Brussels on 6 February, will address the experiences gained, results achieved and ideas for future cooperation in the area of return and reintegration.

The UN Committee against Torture (CAT) expressed both positive and negative observations on Belgium, following the examination of the third periodic report on Belgium.

From 9 to 13 September 2013, the conference will provide a forum for discussing and developing research, policy and practice on migration and integration.