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.