On 27 October 2026, the European Commission presented proposals to reinforce the mandate, operational capacity and resources of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex). The proposed changes aim to strengthen the Agency’s support for Member States in managing the EU’s external borders, coordinating returns and responding to crisis situations. The Commission also proposed a separate Regulation to digitalise return, readmission and reintegration procedures. The proposals will now be examined by the European Parliament and the Council.

On 21 October 2026, Minister for Asylum and Migration Anneleen Van Bossuyt provided an update on the number of applicants for international protection awaiting a place in the reception network and on the reception places still financed by the federal authorities under the Brussels Deal.

According to preliminary data published by Frontex on 19 October 2026, just over 91.000 irregular border crossings into the EU were detected in the first nine months of 2026, a decrease of almost one-third compared with the same period in 2025.

Ahead of EU Anti-Trafficking Day on 18 October, the European Commission presented a new strategy to combat trafficking in human beings on 16 October 2026. The strategy sets out six priorities to strengthen prevention, law enforcement and victim protection, addressing emerging challenges such as the use of digital technologies by traffickers, links with organised crime and risks of exploitation in the context of migration and crises.

As of 15 October 2026, Member States can enter a new type of information alert in the Schengen Information System (SIS). The new alert allows information received from non-EU countries and international organisations on third-country nationals suspected of involvement in terrorism or serious crime to be made available to authorities across the countries using the system.

On 14 October 2026, the Belgian Chamber of Representatives’ Committee on the Interior approved in second reading a bill amending the Law of 15 December 1980 on access to the territory, residence, settlement and removal of foreign nationals. The bill aims to make Belgium more attractive to highly qualified workers from outside the EU while strengthening safeguards against abuse in labour migration. It also provides for enhanced protection for certain workers who are victims of serious social offences committed by their employers.

On the occasion of the European Day against Trafficking in Human Beings on 18 October, PAG-ASA is organising the fifth edition of its Human Trafficking Awareness Week in Brussels. From 12 to 18 October, a series of activities will raise awareness of the different forms of human trafficking, its impact on victims and the Belgian protection framework. The programme includes a public awareness installation, a documentary screening, professional training sessions and a photographic exhibition.

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.

On 7 October 2026, the Belgian Chamber of Representatives’ Committee on the Interior approved in second reading a bill amending the Law of 15 December 1980 on access to the territory, residence, settlement and removal of foreign nationals. The bill would allow, under specific conditions and with authorisation from an investigating judge, home searches to apprehend certain foreign nationals subject to an order to leave the territory. The proposal has raised concerns regarding the protection of the inviolability of the home and fundamental rights.

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.

More than 3.600 people took part in the Refugee Walk organised by Vluchtelingenwerk Vlaanderen on 4 October 2026. Participants walked 20 or 40 kilometres from Brussels or followed a route of their choice. According to the organisation, the event had raised €750.000 by the day of the walk, exceeding its initial target of €500.000. The funds will support Vluchtelingenwerk Vlaanderen’s activities for people seeking protection in Belgium.

The Court of Justice of the European Union has ruled on the examination of applications for international protection lodged by persons who already benefit from temporary protection. It found that EU law does not allow Member States to automatically suspend the examination of such applications for the entire duration of temporary protection. The applicable time limits for examining applications for international protection continue to apply, subject to possible extensions justified by objective reasons.

On 1 October 2026, EU home affairs ministers discussed, among other topics, the overall state of the Schengen area, cooperation with priority non-EU countries on readmission, and measures to strengthen the EU’s migration situational awareness and early warning capabilities. The Council also adopted new rules on return for non-EU nationals who have no right to stay in the EU.

The Samusocial emergency shelter at the World Trade Centre (WTC) in Brussels closed on 30 September 2026, after eight months of operation. The closure results in the loss of 130 emergency accommodation places for single men, reducing the Samusocial's capacity for this group from 370 to 240 places.

The European Commission has proposed a five-point plan to strengthen the resilience and security of the EU’s external borders and improve preparedness for sudden mass arrivals. The plan sets out actions for the Commission, Member States and EU Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) agencies in five areas, covering cooperation with partner countries, border management, monitoring and early warning, action against migrant smuggling and trafficking, and returns.

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.

Ministers from 18 EU and non-EU countries and representatives of the European Commission met in Munich on 26 September for the second Munich Migration Meeting, hosted by German Federal Minister of the Interior Alexander Dobrindt. The informal meeting focused on the implementation of the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum, the protection of the EU’s external borders and returns.

The European Commission has sent a letter of formal notice to Belgium and 19 other EU Member States for failing to communicate the complete transposition of the revised EU Anti-Trafficking Directive. The Commission sent the letters on 25 September 2026, after the deadline for Member States to transpose the Directive into national law had expired.

Fedasil has announced the deactivation of 560 accommodation places for unaccompanied minors (UAMs), following a decrease in the number of UAM arrivals in Belgium since 2023. The measure forms part of Fedasil’s policy of adjusting its reception capacity to changing needs.

On 23–24 September 2026, Belgium hosted the 8th Workshop of Representatives of Detention Centres in Brussels, bringing together 42 participants from 18 countries, alongside two representatives of the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA). Organised jointly by the Belgian Immigration Office, EMN Belgium, EMN Luxembourg and the Detention Centre of the Luxembourg Ministry of Home Affairs, the workshop provided an informal setting for representatives to exchange experience, discuss common challenges and explore opportunities for further cooperation.

On 21 September 2026, Caritas International Belgium launched its "Humanity Is Unstoppable" campaign in Brussels. A large teddy bear appeared at several locations across the city, including Brussels-Central station, the Grand-Place, Flagey and Place Luxembourg, to draw attention to the experiences of people forced to flee, particularly children.

Belgium participated in an international law enforcement operation targeting human trafficking for labour exploitation in the restaurant sector. Coordinated across five European countries on 18 September 2026, the operation focused on a criminal network suspected of exploiting mainly Indian nationals. In Belgium, one restaurant was inspected as part of the coordinated action, which led to two arrests and the identification of more than 70 potential victims.

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.

On 16 September 2026, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the preparation of a new European Emergency Response Framework to enable the EU to respond to exceptional situations involving mass movements of people at the EU’s external borders. The announcement was made in her annual State of the Union address, which also set out priorities concerning the implementation of the Pact on Migration and Asylum, border management and returns.

Belgian coastal police zones tested drone surveillance during summer 2026 as part of efforts to prevent irregular crossings to the United Kingdom by small boats. Following an evaluation meeting on 10 September, the West Flanders acting governor announced plans to develop the approach on a structural basis in 2027, subject to external funding.