Today Interior Minister Jan Jambon announced the Belgian government's decision to patrol the border with France until 23 March 2016, alleging a surge in arrivals caused by the closure of the refugee camp known as the "Jungle" in Calais.
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Main theme: Borders & Visa
Keywords: Calais Jungle, internal border control, Schengen Agreement
As of January 2016, the monthly statistics published by the CGRS refer to the number of persons and no longer to the number of asylum cases. In this way, the Belgian statistics conform to the definitions used by European agencies such as Eurostat and EASO.
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Main theme: International Protection, Data & Statistics
Keywords: asylum applications, asylum decisions, CGRS
On 15th February, a new vaccination campaign has been launched for newly arrived asylum seekers.
When15 February 2016
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Main theme: Reception
Keywords: public health, reception, vaccination
Belgium pledged 75 million EUR to be spent on humanitarian aid in Syria, Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey. The aid will mostly be dedicated to initiatives encouraging refugees to stay in their region of origin and providing dignified living conditions.
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Main theme: Asylum
Keywords: humanitarian aid, Syria, Syrian refugees
For the first time in Europe, Fedasil and IOM organized on Monday 1st February 2016 a chartered flight to Baghdad for the voluntary return of 106 persons to Iraq.
When02 February 2016
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Main theme: Return & Readmission
Keywords: voluntary return, IOM, Fedasil
The 2015 Annual Report on trafficking and smuggling in human beings is now available in English. This report is produced by Myria, the Belgian Federal Migration Centre and the independent National Rapporteur on trafficking in human beings.
When29 January 2016
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This EASO newsletter provides information on the election of new executive director José Carreira (PT) and chairman Wolfgang Taucher (AT) of the EASO managment board.
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Main theme: International Protection
Keywords: EASO, EASO executive director
The European Commission has launched a public consultation to gather views on the functioning of the existing legislation aiming at preventing and countering migrant smuggling and on what could be done to further strengthen it.
When06 April 2016
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Main theme: Smuggling & Trafficking
Keywords: EU legislation, public consultation
Looking at the migration/refugee crisis, the College of Commissioners looked back at measures taken in 2015 and the initiatives to be presented in 2016 to further develop collective European action and deliver clear and tangible results.
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Main theme: Asylum, Migration, External Dimension
Keywords: European Agenda on Migration, migration crisis, refugee crisis
In 2015, the number of asylum applications filed in Belgium doubled compared to 2014, and the protection rate reached an all-time high.
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Main theme: Asylum
Keywords: asylum applications, asylum decisions, CGRS
During the first six months of 2016, the Dutch Presidency will work on the priorities agreed with Slovakia and Malta in an 18 month trio programme setting long-term goals for the period January 2016-June 2017.
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Main theme: Asylum, Migration, External Dimension
Keywords: Dutch Presidency of the Council of the EU, European Agenda on Migration
The European Council on 17-18 December 2015 agreed to speed up actions on the operation of hotspots, the implementation of relocation decisions and returns, the control of external borders and cooperation with third countries.
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Main theme: Asylum, Migration
Keywords: hotspot, human smuggling, migration crisis, relocation, Schengen
On the occasion of the International Migrants Day, Myria launches a new online platform, Myriapolis, to help the wider public better understand migration in all aspects of life.
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Main theme: Migration
Keywords: Myriapolis
The Migration Policy Center dedicates a website to the migrant crisis in order to provide a wide audience with the facts needed to understand the course of events in this matter.
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Main theme: Migration
Keywords: migration crisis, migration routes, refugee crisis
The Commission is proposing to establish a European Border and Coast Guard and also to introduce systematic checks against relevant databases for all people entering and exiting the Schengen area.
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Main theme: Borders & Visa
Keywords: European Border and Coast Guard, external border, Schengen area, security
During the third quarter of 2015 (July to September 2015), 413 800 first-time asylum seekers applied for international protection in the Member States of the EU, a number almost double that of the second quarter of 2015.
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Main theme: Asylum
Keywords: asylum statistics
The conference of the Belgian National Contact Point to the EMN– which took place on 4 December in Brussels – focused on challenges and opportunities associated with the return of irregular and vulnerable migrants.
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Main theme: Return & Readmission, Vulnerable groups
Keywords: EMN conference, forced return, reintegration programmes, voluntary return, vulnerable persons
The package of programmes is the single biggest EU measure in response to the Syrian refugee crisis to date.
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Main theme: Asylum
Keywords: aid, EU Trust Fund, Syrian refugees
Justice and Home Affairs Ministers met in Brussels to discuss how to strengthen the following measures, inter alia: EU Passenger Name Record Directive, controls of external borders, information sharing and law enforcement cooperation.
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Main theme: Borders & Visa
Keywords: external border, foreign fighter, passenger name record, Schengen Information System
The Commission is referring Belgium for failing to transpose the Single Permit Directive. The Commission proposes a daily penalty of 52,828.16 euros.
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Main theme: Economic migration
Keywords: Court of Justice of the European Union, single permit directive
On 11-12 November, the Valletta summit on migration brought together European and African Heads of State and Government in an effort to strengthen cooperation and address the current challenges but also the opportunities of migration.
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Main theme: Migration
Keywords: EU Emergency Trust Fund, Valletta Summit
On the occasion of an informal meeting following the Valletta Summit, heads of state or government focus on the migration crisis, the future of Schengen and cooperation with Turkey.
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Main theme: Migration
Keywords: external border, hotspot, migration crisis, relocation, Schengen
Home Affairs Ministers focused in particular on speeding up the relocation process, strengthening the EU's external borders, fighting human trafficking and smuggling, and return and readmission.
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Main theme: Asylum, Migration
Keywords: migration crisis, relocation, hotspot, Integrated Political Crisis Response, European Migration Liaison Officers
As from 9 November 2015, an asylum seeker can obtain a C work permit four months after applying for asylum. The 6 month period was cut to 4 months by a Royal Decree which entered into force today.
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Main theme: Asylum, Integration
Keywords: employment, waiting period
Between 2014 and 2020, the EU will support Niger through the Emergency Trust Fund, inter alia to better manage migration flows, through improved border management and increased support to fight against trafficking and smuggling networks.