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With this awareness campaign entitled "Working together in the fight against human smuggling – Help save lives!", the Police want to encourage both nautical equipment dealers and citizens to report suspicious purchases or movements on the beach to the police via 112, via the 112 app or directly via the 101.
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Main theme: Smuggling & Trafficking
Keywords: human smuggling, awareness campaign, nautical equipment
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Today, in the Committee on Justice of the Belgian Chamber of Representatives, Minister Vincent Van Quickenborne announced that Mr. Klaus Vanhoutte, former director of Payoke and one of the experts of the Special Committee on Trafficking in Human Beings and People Smuggling, had been recruited and appointed as national coordinator for the fight against human trafficking and smuggling.
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Main theme: Smuggling & Trafficking
The population growth in Belgium in 2022 is the result of a positive international migration balance
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Statbel, the Belgian statistical office, published today official figures relating to population movement. In 2022 the positive international migration balance, which offsets the negative natural balance, ensures a solid population growth. The strongly positive international migration balance in 2022 can be explained by the war in Ukraine.
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Main theme: Data & Statistics
Keywords: population movement, population growth, international migration balance
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The special parliamentary Commission tasked to assess the Belgian legislation and policy on trafficking in and smuggling of human beings adopted today 100 recommendations dealing with various forms of exploitation such as economic exploitation, sexual exploitation, the exploitation of begging, forced criminality, illegal adoption, and forced marriage.
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Today, the Secretary of State for Asylum and Migration Nicole de Moor, the Minister of the Interior Annelies Verlinden, Fedasil, Child Focus, the Office of the Commissioner General for Refugees and Stateless Persons, and the Guardianship Service presented together a guide aimed at preventing and resolving the disappearance of unaccompanied foreign minors.
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Main theme: Vulnerable groups
Keywords: unaccompanied minors, disappearance
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The Secretary of State for Asylum and Migration Nicole de Moor signed today an agreement with the Senegalese Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Annette Seck. Belgium and Senegal agreed to cooperate on the return of irregularly staying Senegalese nationals and on legal migration.
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Main theme: Cross-sectional
Keywords: voluntary return, legal migration, circular migration
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Thanks to this collaboration, young people from all over the country will be able to volunteer in the reception centers and young asylum seekers will be able to get involved in society outside the center where they are staying.
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Main theme: Reception
Keywords: volunteer, reception centre
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The International Knowledge Platform of the Dutch Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA) organises a two-day hybrid international event on sustainable asylum reception. Based on presentations, lectures, and inspiring examples, discussions will focus on the asylum reception centre of the future.
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Main theme: Reception
Keywords: reception centre, sustainable reception
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In the first three months of this year, 959 irregularly staying third-country nationals were subject to forced return from Belgium. That is twice as many as in the same period last year, when it concerned 502 persons.
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Main theme: Return & Readmission
Keywords: irregularly staying third-country national, forced return
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Today EMN Belgium visited Enabel partners to discuss themes and activities of common interest. Both the EMN Belgium team and the Enabel staff members in charge of human mobility and of strategic partnerships look forward to working together even more closely in the future.
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Main theme: External Dimension
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Today, Italy declared a state of emergency over the “sharp rise” in the number of migrants arriving on the country’s shores through the dangerous Mediterranean route. It’s the first time Italy has resorted to such a drastic measure since 2011.
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Main theme: Irregular Migration
Keywords: state of emergency, Italy, Mediterranean region
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The Organisation wide Incident Team (KCT) organizes an international conference to provide the opportunity to share knowledge and learn from each other to better deal with situations of self-destructive behaviour (suicide attempt, hunger or thirst strike, etc.) among asylum seekers.
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Main theme: Asylum
Keywords: self-destructive behaviour, hunger strike, thirst strike, suicide
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The Secretary of State for Asylum and Migration Nicole de Moor is on a mission to Vietnam to strengthen cooperation with that country regarding the prevention of irregular migration and return.
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Main theme: Return & Readmission
Keywords: Vietnam, irregular migration, migrant smuggling
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The State Secretary for Asylum and Migration Nicole de Moor has appointed Sophie Van Balberghe as the new Commissioner General for Refugees and Stateless Persons (CGRS). The Council of Ministers approved her appointment today.
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Main theme: International Protection
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Nicole de Moor calls for an interministerial conference on labour migration to better protect and integrate migrant workers. Integration courses for this target group should be considered.
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Main theme: Economic migration
Keywords: migrant worker, Integration path, housing
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Fedasil increases the reception capacity for unaccompanied minors. Mid-April 2023, a new center will be set up in the former hotel ‘Lambermont 322’, located along Boulevard Lambermont in Schaerbeek.
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Main theme: Reception
Keywords: unaccompanied minors, reception centre
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Fedasil funds specific projects every year. In 2023, 16 projects receive national funding, of which 4 projects concern the activation of asylum seekers through employment, and 8 projects benefit from European funding (AMIF).
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Main theme: Reception
Keywords: reception centre, reception network, funding
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Through this Webinar, Fedasil aims to encourage partners to embark on the path of Community Sponsorship in order to ensure the continuity of the resettlement program.
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Main theme: Reception
Keywords: community sponsorship, resettlement
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Through this Webinar, Fedasil aims to encourage associations and municipalities to join a flexible framework to establish unique partnerships in order to ensure the continuity of the resettlement program.
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Main theme: Reception
Keywords: partnership, resettlement
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The Agency invites non-profit organizations, NGOs, cities and municipalities to subscribe to a flexible cooperation agreement with a view to establishing unique partnerships.
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Main theme: Reception
Keywords: community sponsorship, partnership, resettlement
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The meeting put institutional stakeholders and the private sector around the table, to exchange experiences and knowledge regarding the future EU Talent Pool and other databases.
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Main theme: Integration
Keywords: talent, Ukraine, labour market integration
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The first package of reforms contains several measures. Nicole De Moor said in a statement that, according to the texts to be discussed in Parliament, reception places will be allocated to those in an ongoing asylum procedure, cooperation on return will be enshrined in law and abuses in family reunification will be combated. Finally, a solution will be offered to vulnerable persons in specific situations such as statelessness.
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Main theme: Cross-sectional
Keywords: reform
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In the House of Representatives today, Nicole de Moor responded to numerous questions regarding possible fraudulent cases of applications for single permits. All involved actors, including the Flemish Region, the Federal Public Service Foreign Affairs and the Immigration Office, are now part of a working group to foster information exchange and avoid future abuses.
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Main theme: Economic migration
Keywords: single permit, fraud
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The 2nd European Border Managament Conference was held in Athens on 23 and 24 February 2023. Participating Member States inter alia underlined the importance of effective control of EU's external borders and required legal, financial, operational and technical measures as well as a whole-of-the-route approach to ensure this.
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Main theme: Borders & Visa
Keywords: border control, border management
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During a press conference at the maritime police in Ostend, the Minister of Justice, Vincent Van Quickenborne, said that the strong approach towards human smugglers has led to a 90% drop in transit migrants to the UK.