On 2 June 2021, the European Commission presented its new Schengen Strategy, which was accompanied by a proposal to revise the Schengen evaluation and monitoring mechanism.    

What is the EMN? How does it operate? Who is involved? And how can I engage with the EMN? The “Getting to know the EMN” open day on 2 June 2021 will offer participants the opportunity to find answer to these questions and more.

On 15 December, EMN Belgium and the EMN Return Expert Group hosted a webinar on Alternatives to Detention. The online event focused on the current legal framework on alternatives to detention, the implementation of these alternatives in practice and the identification of emerging good practices and pilot projects.

Georgia and Moldova have joined the EMN in March 2021 as observers. This will enhance mutual collaboration and understanding on asylum and migration.

The Academy of European Law (ERA) organizes its annual conference on EU Border Management between 9 June 2021 and11 June 2021. 

On 5 May 2021, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe adopted the Action Plan on Protecting Vulnerable Persons in the Context of Migration and Asylum in Europe (2021-2025) to increase cooperation among member states to protect the most vulnerable persons.

From 7 until 9 July 2021, the International Migration, Integration and Social Cohesion in Europe (IMISCOE), a European network of scholars in the area of migration and integration, will hold its annual conference. The event, entitled "Crossing borders, connecting cultures", will be held entirely online.    

On the 9th of May, the European Union celebrates 'Europe Day'. This day commemorates the date of the Schuman Declaration, which was the starting point for today’s European Union.

The Office of the Commissioner General for Refugees and Stateless Persons (CGRS) launched asyluminbelgium.be. This new website provides information in nine languages about the asylum procedure in Belgium, tailored to the needs of asylum seekers. 

On 15 December, EMN Belgium and the EMN Return Expert Group will host a half-day webinar on Alternatives to Detention. The online event focuses on the current legal framework on alternatives to detention, the implementation of these alternatives in practice and the identification of emerging good practices and pilot projects.

The new State Secretary for Asylum and Migration, Sammy Mahdi (CD&V) presented his General Policy Paper on Asylum and Migration in Parliament on 18 November 2020.

On October 21, the joint EMN-OECD inform on "Maintaining labour migration in essential sectors in times of pandemic" will be launched with a webinar.

On 16 September 2020, the Interior Committee of the Belgian House of Representatives held a parliamentary hearing on a legislative proposal concerning the prohibition of detention of minors. EMN Belgium contributed to the hearing by presenting the laws, policies and practices in other EU Member States.

This year's Austrian National EMN Conference will focus on migration forecasts, scenarios and early warning systems, in order to predict migration developments.

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and the substantial measures taken by EU and OECD countries to prevent the spread of the virus are having direct and indirect impacts on international students coming to those countries. While the long-term consequences are difficult to predict, the immediate impacts are already visible, for example, the processing of new applications or renewing of residence permits has in many cases been hindered or suspended, with consequences for international students already present in the host country. In addition, the abrupt downturn in economic activity has had a significant impact across many sectors, with international students facing the loss of their part time jobs or reduced or lost incomes, which could have an impact on their ability to continue their studies or find a job or start a business following their graduation.

In its Review 2019, Fedasil presents the most important events and figures on reception, voluntary return and resettlement of the past year. The overview shows an increase in the number of people entitled to reception and for whom more than 5000 temporary places were opened in 2019.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, personal interviews of applicants for international protection at the CGRS were stopped in March. They were started again in June. To improve the safety of staff and applicants, a video with practical instructions was created.

On 25 June 2020, the European Asylum Support Office (EASO) will launch the 2020 edition of its annual flagship EASO Asylum Report. Due to the COVID-19 situation, this year EASO will be holding an online event to present and discuss the findings of the report, as well as developing asylum trends in the EU. 

The event will serve to launch the 2019 edition of the EMN Annual Report on Migration and Asylum. It also seeks to provide the latest information on Member States responses to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The EMN has recently conducted a study on "Comparative overview of national protection statuses”. A short video was created to highlight some of the key findings of this study.

Today EMN Belgium has launched a Twitter account to better disseminate EMN outputs. 

Border closures and quarantine rules to prevent the spreading of Covid-19 risk having a negative impact on seasonal work. To address labour shortages in the agricultural and horticultural sectors, the federal and regional governments decided to adopt a series of measures in the spring of 2020.

In 2020 EMN Belgium will continue to contribute to multiple EMN outputs on migration and asylum policy in the EU Member States. This way EMN Belgium contributes to an evidence-based migration and asylum policy in the EU and Belgium.

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.

Voluntary returns to the countries of origin are decreasing for the third consecutive year.