The judgment in joined cases C-643/15 and C-647/15 Slovakia and Hungary v Council has been delivered by the Court, calling Member States to respect the emergency relocation scheme for refugees, initiated by the EU at the height of the migration crisis

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.

Today, the European Commission has announced a new wave of emergency support projects to help refugees in Greece.

Today, the European Commission decided to refer Belgium to the Court of Justice of the EU for failing to fully implement the Single Permit Directive (Directive 2011/98/EU). Designed to facilitate legal migration, the Directive introduces simplified procedures and a common set of rights for non-EU workers.

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?"

The return of irregular migrants is one of the main pillars of the EU’s policy on migration and asylum. In this light the EMN will conduct in 2017 a study on ‘The effectiveness of return in EU Member States: challenges and good practices linked to EU rules and standards‘. The synthesis report of this study is expected to be published at the end of 2017. The Belgian national report will probably be published at the beginning of 2018.

Today, EASO presented its yearly reference report summarizing key developments that took place in the asylum field in the EU+ in 2016 as well as some more recent data of 2017. The launching of the annual report 2016 brought together a large audience, including journalists.

Today the Commission proposes an action plan to support Italy, reduce pressure and increase solidarity along the Central Mediterranean Route.

Each year, the Odysseus Network organizes a summer school in EU immigration and asylum law and policy. The courses tackle the most recent legislative, jurisprudential and political developments in the field at EU level.

Today, the restricted Council of Ministers has approved the proposal of the State Secretary for Asylum Policy and Migration to create a single registration centre for asylum seekers in Neder-Over-Heembeek.

The first edition of the Antwerp Summer School ‘Europe: Diversity and Migration’ addresses the issue of superdiversity from an interdisciplinary perspective and in doing so, provides participants with concrete insights, information and tools based on theoretical perspectives, empirical case studies and field visits. In doing so it reveals the interrelations between the micro-, meso- and macro-level processes concerned allowing for fine-grained and in-depth understandings of the complex relationships between migration and integration processes.

A tribunal in Brussels sentenced eight persons to suspended 15-month prison sentences and a €165,000 fine for trafficking in human beings and degrading treatment.