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.

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 15 September 2026, the European Commission proposed a package of measures to facilitate labour mobility and strengthen the enforcement of EU rules across borders. The package includes five legislative proposals covering the digitalisation of social security documents, the portability and recognition of qualifications, the recognition of qualifications obtained outside the EU, and the mandate of the European Labour Authority (ELA), including its role in relation to third-country nationals.

In the first half of 2026, EU+ countries received around 332.000 applications for international protection, 17% fewer than during the same period in 2025, according to the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA). This was the lowest number recorded for the first half of a year since 2021. The EUAA also reported a decline in pending cases at first instance, although older cases continued to account for a large share of the caseload.

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.

On 9 September 2026, the European Commission decided to provide Spain with €114.7 million in emergency assistance to help manage the situation in Ceuta, following the large-scale irregular border crossings on 30 and 31 July.

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.

Frontex supported EU Member States in returning more than 33.000 people to non-EU countries during the first half of 2026. Around two-thirds of these returns were voluntary. Belgium ranked among the five Member States with the highest number of Frontex-supported returns.

Ministers from Austria, Denmark, Germany, Greece and the Netherlands met in Copenhagen on 4 September to discuss the establishment of return hubs in countries outside the EU. The five countries agreed on guiding principles for the proposed model and on a common timeframe for the national legal processes required for its implementation. Amnesty International warned that such arrangements could pose serious risks to human rights.

Frontex is deploying maritime assets to support French search and rescue operations in the English Channel. Spanish and Lithuanian vessels will temporarily reinforce the French maritime rescue arrangements between September 2026 and January 2027.

Europol and the European Labour Authority (ELA) are strengthening their cooperation on labour exploitation, trafficking in human beings, fraud and related serious and organised crime. On 2 September 2026, the two agencies signed a Working Arrangement providing a framework for information exchange and further cooperation in areas of shared interest.

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.

From 1 September 2026, employers in Flanders recruiting workers from outside the European Economic Area or Switzerland must pay a €180 fee for each application for a single permit. The fee applies to both first applications and renewals and is separate from the federal fee payable for the residence application.

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.

The Ghent division of the East Flanders Court of First Instance has convicted 33 defendants in the Lotus case for human trafficking with aggravating circumstances and leadership or participation in a criminal organisation. The organisation recruited more than 100 financially vulnerable Chinese women and exploited them in prostitution in Belgium and other European countries. Four defendants were also convicted of human trafficking resulting in the death of a victim. Prison sentences of up to seven years, fines and confiscation orders were imposed.

On 25 August 2026, the European Commission confirmed that it had received a formal request from Spain for emergency funding to address the migratory situation in Ceuta. The Commission said it was assessing the request as a priority, with a view to taking a swift decision, and stood ready to provide further EU support, including through EU agencies. It also identified the swift return of people remaining irregularly in Ceuta as a priority.

On World Day against Trafficking in Persons, the Council of Europe’s Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA) joined the Inter-Agency Coordination Group against Trafficking in Persons (ICAT) in calling for victims of trafficking who are forced to commit crimes to be protected rather than punished. The two bodies highlight the growing prevalence of trafficking for forced criminality, particularly in scam operations, and call for stronger measures to identify and protect victims.

On 28 July 2026, the international community marks the 75th anniversary of the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees. The Convention remains the cornerstone of the international refugee protection framework, establishing the rights of refugees and the obligations of States to protect people forced to flee persecution. On this occasion, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the European Union reaffirm their commitment to upholding refugee protection and international cooperation.

Belgium officially launched its participation in the United Nations Blue Heart Campaign on 27 July 2026 in Namur, ahead of the World Day against Trafficking in Persons on 30 July. Coordinated by the Federal Public Service (FPS) Justice together with several national and international partners, the 2026 campaign focuses on trafficking in human beings for the purpose of forced online fraud.

On 20 July 2026, the European Migration Network (EMN) launched the European Asylum and Migration Overview 2025 during an online launch event. The annual publication provides an overview of the main asylum and migration developments across 30 EMN Member and Observer Countries. Based on national contributions from these countries, the publication presents a synthesis of key policy, legislative and operational developments in asylum and migration across Europe in 2025. It is accompanied by a Statistical Annex containing relevant European and national data.

The European Union agencies Europol and Frontex have signed a new Working Arrangement to strengthen their cooperation in addressing cross-border threats affecting the European Union. The agreement replaces the 2015 arrangement and takes into account the expanded mandates of both agencies, providing an updated framework for the secure exchange of information, including for operational purposes.