Publication date: 12 May 2026
This Inform examines how digital services in legal migration procedures are designed and implemented in EMN Member and Observer Countries to ensure accessibility and inclusion for applicants with disabilities and digitally disadvantaged applicants. It looks at how authorities have adapted applications, document submission, appointment booking, communication and information exchange, and case-tracking services in the context of the ongoing digitalisation of legal migration procedures. The analysis is based on contributions from 25 EMN Member and Observer Countries.
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Main theme: Economic migration, Family reunification, Study § Training, Citizenship & Nationality, Borders & Visa
Publication Type: Informs
Keywords: legal migration, digitalisation, accessibility, inclusion
Publication date: 24 March 2026
This ad hoc query inquires about the legal framework and practices of EMN Member and Observer Countries regarding the renewal of residence permits of third-country nationals.
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Main theme: Cross-sectional, Asylum, Migration
Publication Type: Ad Hoc Queries
Keywords: residence permit, document validity, renewal, digitalisation
Publication date: 14 December 2025
This ad hoc query, which informed the preparation of an EMN Inform, collected information on how EMN Member and Observer Countries have adapted digital services in legal migration procedures to ensure accessibility and inclusion for applicants with disabilities and digitally disadvantaged applicants. It examined compliance with relevant EU and international frameworks, as well as national legislation. It also explored additional accessibility measures, support for users with special needs, GDPR safeguards, user involvement in service design, and approaches to digital disadvantage, alongside challenges and good practices identified by countries.
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Main theme: Economic migration, Family reunification, Study § Training, Citizenship & Nationality, Borders & Visa
Publication Type: Ad Hoc Queries
Keywords: legal migration, digitalisation, accessibility, inclusion
Publication date: 06 October 2025
This study provides an overview of legal and policy developments related to the implementation of the Family Reunification Directive since 2017. It examines the current state of national legislation, policies, and practices following two decades of the Directive’s application, incorporating relevant case law and highlighting both challenges and best practices. It also presents data on the scale and evolution of family reunification between 2017 and 2023 (and 2024 where available), drawing on both Eurostat and national sources.
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Main theme: Family reunification
Publication Type: Thematic Studies
Keywords: Family Reunification Directive, application for family reunification, requirement, eligibility, sponsor, family member, digitalisation, access to rights
Publication date: 01 August 2025
The Belgian authorities launched this ad hoc query to understand how other Member States provide information to third-country nationals in the context of return, in order to fulfil their obligation under the Return Directive, and to assess whether making this information available via a website or IT application would be considered sufficient to meet these requirements.
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Main theme: Return & Readmission
Publication Type: Ad Hoc Queries
Keywords: return counselling, information provision, digitalisation
Publication date: 21 March 2024
This Inform from the European Migration Network (EMN) offers an overview of current practices in EMN Member Countries and two Observer Countries (Georgia, Ukraine) on the digitalisation of identity documents and residence permits issued to third-country nationals. It also compiles views from national authorities on the challenges and advantages of introducing digital-only documents.
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Main theme: Migration
Publication Type: Informs
Keywords: identity document, residence permit, digitalisation
Publication date: 28 August 2023
This ad hoc query aims to explore current practices and possible lessons learned on issuing or planning to issue digital-only identity and residency documents to third-country nationals.
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Main theme: Asylum, Migration
Publication Type: Ad Hoc Queries
Keywords: digitalisation, identity document, residence permit
Publication date:
The Directorate-General for Foreign Nationals in France of the Ministry of the Interior, together with EMN France and EMN Luxembourg, organise the 4th Workshop on Forecasting and New Technologies in Migration and Asylum Governance. It will gather representatives of EU agencies, international organisations, national authorities and academia. Participants will exchange on current practices, new developments and future directions in this field.
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Main theme: Cross-sectional, Asylum, Migration
Keywords: forecasting, new technology, migration management, digitalisation, artificial intelligence
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This event aims to help migration policymakers and practitioners better understand the potential of AI applications as well as the regulatory framework of the AI Act and its impact on the use of AI in migration management, and to discuss the impact of AI on policymaking.
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Main theme: Cross-sectional
Keywords: migration policy, migration management, artificial intelligence, digitalisation, Artificial Intelligence Act
Publication date:
The Secretary of State for Asylum and Migration announced today that a new software was in the process of being developed with the digital product studio "In the pocket" to better manage information relating to the stay of third-country nationals in closed centres.