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During two lunch & learn sessions this week, the team of EMN Belgium met around 70 practitioners of the Immigration Office to inform them about the European Migration Network, to invite them to actively participate in the national network, and to explore concrete cooperation opportunities.
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Main theme: Cross-sectional
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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EMN Belgium participated in the joint conference organised by EMN Georgia and EMN Latvia, titled: “A Commonly Understood Language as a tool in Migration Management: the EMN Asylum and Migration Glossary”. The conference highlighted the importance of the glossary and allowed to share experiences and challenges that arise when defining, translating and using asylum and migration-related terms.
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Main theme: Cross-sectional
Keywords: glossary, common terminology
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This annual meeting is aimed at teachers who wish to discover new tools and start the school year with new ideas to talk about migration in the classroom.
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Main theme: Cross-sectional
Keywords: tool, education, migration
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The Western Balkans are at the heart of the European continent, surrounded by EU Member States. The migration situation in the region remains complex and challenges the institutional capacities of the Western Balkans, particularly in relation to border management, migrant smuggling and trafficking in human beings.
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Main theme: Cross-sectional
Keywords: Action Plan for the Western Balkans
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This seminar will examine new findings on how Schengen emerged, how its current design was shaped and which topics are likely to dominate the future political agenda.
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Main theme: Borders & Visa
Keywords: Schengen
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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 Commission adopted a Communication on the monitoring of the EU's visa-free travel regimes setting out a consultation process. To address challenges and prevent risks effectively, existing rules concerning the monitoring of the functioning of visa-free regimes with third countries and the suspension of visa exemptions should be re-assessed and improved.
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Main theme: Borders & Visa
Keywords: visa-free travel, visa suspension mechanism
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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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Myria has published the second thematic section of its 2023 annual report. This section entitled "Humanitarian and medical regularisation" reports that 2.038 persons were regularized on humanitarian grounds in Belgium in 2022 (10% less than in 2021) and 248 persons were authorised to reside in Belgium on medical grounds in 2022 (against 1,330 people whose application was refused).
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Main theme: Regularization
Keywords: humanitarian regularisation, medical regularisation
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This report is part of the Commission's initiative to further reinforce the Schengen governance through a yearly reporting exercise presenting the state of Schengen, identifying challenges and best practices, as well as priority areas for action. The State of Schengen Report 2023 will serve as basis for political discussions and steer at the Council on 8 June 2023.
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Main theme: Borders & Visa
Keywords: Schengen
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British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen agreed to strengthen cooperation between the EU and UK on migration through developing a new working arrangement between UK agencies and Frontex, enabling them to "work together on critical operational and strategic challenges including the situation in the Channel".
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Main theme: Irregular Migration
Keywords: English channel, Frontex
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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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Today marks a decade and a half of the European Migration Network (EMN) providing objective and reliable migration and asylum information. Throughout the years, the EMN has been meeting the information needs of Community institutions and of Member States’ authorities and institutions on migration and asylum, and supporting policymaking in these areas.
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Main theme: Cross-sectional
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On 11 and 12 May 2023, EMN Belgium participated in the Swedish Presidency Conference. Many actors were invited to contribute: professors, researchers, policy-makers, analysts, development actors, national government officials – both from EU countries and beyond – and EU officials, representatives of international organisations and NGOs.
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Main theme: Cross-sectional
Keywords: climate change, displacement
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This hybrid annual conference will debate the latest developments and challenges in the EU’s internal and external border management. It will analyse the latest proposals and reforms on the functioning and operation of EU border management systems, including Schengen, as well as Frontex’ role and responsibilities. A particular focus will be given to the ongoing situation at the EU’s eastern border.
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Main theme: Borders & Visa
Keywords: border management, EU border agency, Schengen, Frontex, migrant smuggling
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This conference will examine the issues at the core of the current debates about Schengen like the balance between solidarity & responsibility between States in liaison with secondary movements of asylum seekers, the persistence of controls at Schengen internal borders, the way to monitor human rights at the external borders, the increasing recourse to large-scale databases,...
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Main theme: Borders & Visa
Keywords: Schengen, Schengen acquis
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The EMN Slovakia Educational Seminar on Migration is a learning platform about migration that fosters networking, experience sharing, and discussions among (inter)national experts and participants. The seminar has been organised by IOM as the coordinator of the EMN activities in Slovakia with funding from the European Union since 2012, each year on a specific migration-related topic.
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Main theme: Vulnerable groups
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Today, the Internal Market Committee and the Civil Liberties Committee adopted a draft negotiating mandate on the first-ever rules for Artificial Intelligence (AI). MEPs substantially amended the list to include bans on intrusive and discriminatory uses of AI systems. They also expanded the classification of high-risk areas.
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Main theme: Cross-sectional
Keywords: artificial intelligence
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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 European Migration Network (EMN) Glossary is an essential resource, which offers an EU-wide multidisciplinary vocabulary of approximately 500 terms and concepts related to asylum and migration. Let's focus today on the term "environmentally displaced person" to make sure we have a common understanding and use of the term!
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Main theme: External Dimension
Keywords: environmentally displaced person, climate change, environmental migration
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In 2022, 141 060 non-EU citizens were refused entry into the EU territory while 1.08 million were found to be illegally present in one of the EU countries. The number of non-EU citizens issued with an order to leave an EU Member State was 422 400. Following an order to leave, 96 795 non-EU citizens were returned to another country (including other EU countries), and of this, 77 530 were returned outside the EU.
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Main theme: Data & Statistics
Keywords: immigration law, law enforcement
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The conference organised by the Italian National Contact Point of the European Migration Network (EMN) will focus on violence against foreign minors. It will explore solutions to prevent the phenomenon, to further develop staff training and efficiently take charge of the victims.
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Main theme: Vulnerable groups
Keywords: minor, violence
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Today a social profit fair took place in Antwerp as part of the project “Every talent counts (in social profit)”. At these regional social profit fairs, persons with a migratory background are put into contact with diversity-oriented employers, training institutions, and supporting organizations such as VDAB and the Agency for Integration and Civic Integration.
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Main theme: Integration
Keywords: diversity, talent
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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.
