The EESC and its Permanent Study group on Disability rights are organizing a public hearing on the situation of refugees and migrants with disabilities on 14 February 2017.

Six years after the promotion of a “new approach to a new neighbourhood” following the 2011 uprisings, what is the state of play of EU’s cooperation with the MENA region in the field of migration and asylum? This session will allow to reflect on the EU's external cooperation in the field of migration and asylum with South and East Mediterranean countries.

Today is the opening of a photo exhibition focusing on Melilla, Europe's Southern border. This exhibition is the outcome of a one year and a half project initiated by four youths graduated in journalism.

The Odysseus Annual Conference 2017 is entitled "Beyond the crisis? The State of Immigration and Asylum Law and Policy in the EU". It will critically assess developments that took place in 2016, and look into 2017.

Today, the Commission adopted its ninth progress report on the EU's emergency relocation and resettlement schemes, assessing actions taken since 8 December 2016.

On 3 February 2017, the 28 Heads of States discussed the external dimension of migration at the informal summit in Malta. They adopted the Malta Declaration.

Foreign nationals might have to pay a fee of maximum 50 euro in certain municipalities when they renew, extend or replace a temporary residence permit at the level of the municipalities. Modifications by the Law of 18 December 2016, published today in the Belgian Official Gazette, made it possible for municipalities to collect this fee.

On 1 February 2017, Belgium and Cameroon signed a Memorandum of Understanding which focuses on migration and return.

Vluchtelingenwerk Vlaanderen organizes an evening event on the subject of international protection. The programme includes a dance performance, a debate, a movie screening and a concert.

Today the Council of Ministers decided that the mandatory fee migrants have to pay when applying for certain residence permits will increase.

On 27 January, the Migration Policy Institute organizes a webinar on "European Union Third-Country Partnerships: Where Do We Go From Here?"

Today a new law enters (partly) into force inserting a general residence condition into the Immigration Act. The Immigration Office can now put an end to a residence permit if the person cannot put forward provable integration efforts.

The Passenger Name Record (PNR) law has been adopted in Parliament in December 2016. It was published in the Belgian Official Gazette on 25 January 2017. On the basis of this law, carriers will be obliged to send data on their passengers travelling from, to, or across Belgium to a central database.

Ahead of the meeting of Heads of State or Government in Malta on 3 February 2017, the Commission and the High Representative/Vice-President have set out their contribution to the discussion on how to better manage migration and save lives along the Central Mediterranean route.

Today, the Commission is taking stock of the progress achieved and the work still needed in making the new European Border and Coast Guard Agency fully operational.

This training focuses on residence rights and employment of foreign nationals working for embassies, consulates or international institutions in Belgium.

The Platform on Statelessness of the European Migration Network, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and the European Network on Statelessness organized the conference "Addressing Statelessness in the European Union, One year on from the adoption of European Council Conclusions". 

According to the Missing Migrants Project, an estimate of 7495 men, women and children migrants or refugees died or were reported missing across five continents in 2016. That is almost 20 victims per day and the number may not include them all.

In 2016, there was a sharp drop in the number of asylum applications in Belgium, and the number of decisions taken by the Commissioner General for Refugees and Stateless Persons reached an all-time high.