Trade unions have filed a joint strike notice at Belgium’s closed centres, citing staff shortages, inadequate infrastructure and increasing aggression towards staff. They are calling for better staffing levels, additional resources and improved working conditions. Minister for Asylum and Migration Anneleen Van Bossuyt has responded by highlighting measures already taken to address staffing and infrastructure needs.

The Council of Europe’s Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA) has published its fourth evaluation report on Belgium, covering the period from July 2022 to June 2026. The report examines vulnerabilities to trafficking, measures to prevent and detect them, and the identification, protection and assistance of victims. It also assesses investigations and prosecutions and the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) in trafficking. GRETA identifies a number of areas where further action is needed to strengthen Belgium’s response to human trafficking.

Belgium begins the gradual introduction of a new model of the Registration Certificate (RC), also known as the “orange card”, on 28 September 2026. The new RC takes the form of a secure passport-type booklet and is being introduced alongside the existing orange card and temporary A4 model.

On 17 September 2026, a delegation of the Council of Europe’s European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) concluded an ad hoc visit to Belgium, carried out from 8 to 17 September. The visit focused on the treatment of persons deprived of their liberty under immigration legislation.

In the first eight months of 2026, 1.239 prisoners without a residence permit were returned to their country of origin following their detention in Belgium, according to figures published by the Immigration Office. This represents an increase compared with the 991 returns recorded during the same period in 2025 and the 828 recorded in 2024.

On 10 September 2026, the Diversity Committee of the Social and Economic Council of Flanders (SERV) published an advice calling for an integrated approach to strengthen the labour market participation of first-generation women from non-EU countries. The advice identifies their comparatively vulnerable position on the Flemish labour market and calls for policies addressing barriers across different policy areas, while taking account of differences within this group.

Belgium and the United Kingdom have signed a Law Enforcement Cooperation Agreement (LECA) aimed at strengthening cooperation between their law enforcement authorities. The agreement will facilitate faster and more autonomous intelligence sharing and support joint action against migrant smuggling and other forms of serious and organised crime.

Belgium’s new Criminal Code enters into force on 1 September 2026. Among its provisions relevant to migration, Articles 258 to 264 set out rules on human trafficking and human smuggling, including their definitions, aggravated forms, penalties and specific provisions concerning victims.

This seminar will bring together researchers and practitioners to discuss current research and practical experiences related to asylum in Belgium. Organised to mark the 10th anniversary of the Migration Law Research Group (MigrLaw) at Ghent University, the event will explore challenges faced by applicants for international protection and the role of interdisciplinary and empirical research in informing policy and practice.

A spending review published on 31 August 2026 examines the organisation of Belgium’s closed centres and their role in the return chain. It finds that the centres operate relatively efficiently within current constraints, while identifying structural challenges affecting the use of available capacity. As of 20 May 2026, 541 of the 689 theoretical places were effectively usable, with 148 unavailable due to infrastructure problems or staff shortages. The review puts forward 74 recommendations and more than 170 concrete actions across nine areas.

On 27 March 2026, EMN Belgium participated in a seminar organised by Myria and the National Institute of Criminalistics and Criminology (NICC) entitled "The status of victim of smuggling under the microscope", where the results of the research report on the practical application of this status were presented.

In the new agreement, partners of the federal coalition intend to control the influx of migrants and to move further towards controlled migration. They also emphasise the need to foster the integration of newcomers, inter alia through a binding newcomer's declaration, and to impose requirements in this regard on those who wish to obtain or maintain a right of permanent residence in Belgium.

On 3 February 2025, Belgium's new Federal 'Arizona' Government was sworn in before King Philippe. Anneleen Van Bossuyt, from the New Flemish Alliance Party (Nieuw-Vlaamse Alliantie, N-VA), becomes Minister of Asylum and Migration, Social Integration and Urban Policy.