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

On 10 December 2019, EMN Belgium organized its annual asylum and migration policy event in which recent national and EU developments in the field of international protection, legal migration and integration, and irregular migration and return were discussed. 

This report provides a broad overview of recent trends in international migration flows and migration policies in OECD countries and some non-OECD countries.

The EMN has recently conducted a study on "Beneficiaries of International Protection Travelling to and Contacting Authorities of their Country of Origin”. A short video was created to highlight some of the key findings of this study

The conference 'From Tampere 20 to Tampere 2.0: Towards a new programme (2020-2024) for EU migration and asylum policies 20 years after the Tampere conclusions?' was held in Helsinki on the 24th and the 25th of October.

On 22 October 2019, the Association of Flemish Cities and Municipalities (VVSG) published the results of the survey conducted in the spring of 2019. The results show that especially the search for housing for beneficiaries of international protection is very problematic. The regulations state that, in principle, they must leave the Local Reception Initiative (LOI) within two months. As in the VVSG survey of 2017, half of the respondents do not consider this period to be feasible. For almost 1 in 5, finding housing within this timeframe very exceptionally the case, and only thanks to the possibility to extend the stay in the LOI twice by 1 month.  

On 8 October 2019, Fedasil launched the new information platform www.fedasilinfo.be. The mobile website provides applicants for international protection (asylum seekers) in Belgium with reliable information in 12 languages, 8 of which include an audio version.

On the occasion of the World Refugee Day, which is organized every year on 20th June by the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), Eurostat published an infographic on annual asylum data for 2018 . Eurostat also published its Asylum quarterly report. In the first quarter of 2019, the number of first-time asylum applicants slightly increased : 4% more compared to the 4th quarter of 2018.

On 24 June 2019 (9:00 - 10:45), EASO will launch its Annual Report on the Situation of Asylum in the EU in Brussels.   

Today the English translation of the latest report on Human Trafficking and Smuggling from Myria was published. The 2018 report focuses on underage victims of trafficking and smuggling of human beings.

The Federal Public Service Interior has made a short video about foreign unaccompanied minors seeking international protection in Belgium.

Myria, the Belgian Federal Migration Centre, is recruiting a policy officer to work for the Belgian Contact Point of the European Migration Network (EMN).

Voluntary returns to the countries of origin are decreasing. Among others, this is the result of the lower number of asylum applications during the past years.

On 12 December 2018, the Belgian contact point of the EMN organized its annual asylum and migration policy event in which recent national and EU developments in the field of international protection, legal migration and integration and irregular migration, human trafficking and return were discussed. 

The European Commission is presenting its Second Report on the progress made in the fight against trafficking in human beings.

On the 26th of October 2018 the general policy note on asylum and migration of the State Secretary for Asylum and Migration was published. The policy note provides an overview of the main achievements and priorities in the field of asylum and migration.

Europol launched a new report about child trafficking. It provides a comprehensive view on who the victims are and who the criminal networks are that trafficking the children in and into the EU. 

The Intergovernmental Conference to adopt the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration  takes place in Marrakech, Morocco on the 10th and 11th of December 2018  

On 10 September, the Belgian Minister of Security and the Interior and the State Secretary for Asylum Policy and Migration presented a 9-point action plan on the fight against irregular transit migration.

In his State of the Union, President Jean-Claude Juncker presented proposals to ensure full EU solidarity on migration and better protection of Europe's external borders. The Commission is proposing to reinforce the European Border and Coast Guard and the EU's Agency for Asylum and is proposing a targeted review of the Return Directive.

This report provides a broad overview of recent trends in international migration flows and migration policies in OECD countries and some non-OECD countries.

As of 11 August, irregularly staying families with minor children can be detained with a view to removal in family housing on the grounds of the closed detention centre 127bis.

Today, the Commission is expanding on the concept of controlled centres as well as short-term measures that could be taken to improve the processing of migrants being disembarked in the EU, and giving a first outline of the possible way forward for the establishment of regional disembarkation arrangements with third countries.

Today, the State Secretary for Asylum Policy and Migration and his Tunisian counterpart signed an agreement which focuses on cooperation regarding migration and return.

The Belgian State Secretary for Asylum Policy and Migration carried out information missions in Albania and in Georgia, respectively in April and June 2018.