On Sunday, 15 March the project on Smart Borders Pilot reached the next milestone - the execution phase – in Lisbon Airport, Portugal.
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Main theme: Borders & Visa
Keywords: Schengen, smart border
During the meeting of the Home Affairs Council, Ministers discussed migratory pressures, and in particular the situation in the central Mediterranean, as well as increasing trends in asylum applications from Western Balkans countries and in particular Kosovo.
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Main theme: Asylum, Migration
Keywords: European Agenda on Migration, Mediterranean, migratory pressure, Western Balkans
The College of Commissioners held a first orientation debate setting out the four main areas where actions are envisaged in the European Agenda on Migration.
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Main theme: Asylum, Migration
Keywords: European Agenda on Migration
The report entitled ‘Afghanistan security situation’provides a comprehensive overview of the security situation in Afghanistan, and information relevant for the protection status determination of Afghan asylum seekers.
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Main theme: International Protection
Keywords: Afghanistan, country of origin information (COI), EASO
The European law and migration team (EDEM) of the Catholic University of Louvain has published its newsletter that analyses recent asylum case law.
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Main theme: Asylum
Keywords: case law, European Court of Human Rights, Court of Justice of the European Union
On the occasion of the European Parliament plenary session of 13 January 2015, Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos spoke on human smuggling in the Mediterranean and the needed reaction of the EU
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Main theme: Asylum, Irregular Migration, Smuggling & Trafficking
Keywords: Frontex, joint operation Triton, resettlement, Syrian refugees
In a press release published on 6 January 2015, the Office of the Commissioner General for Refugees and Stateless Persons has announced that the number of people in need of protection and being recognized the refugee status has greatly increased in 2014
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Main theme: Asylum, Data & Statistics
Keywords: Office of the Commissioner General for Refugees and Stateless Persons, protection need
As from today, foreigners have to pay a fee for introducing certain applications for a residence permit in Belgium with a view to covering administrative costs relating to the processing of such applications.
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Main theme: Migration
Keywords: processing fee, residence permit
In the first half of 2015 Latvia will assume the Presidency of the Council of the EU. The Presidency will focus on the implementation of the Strategic Guidelines in the area of freedom, security and justice (June 2014), as well as on the respective follow-up initiatives.
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Main theme: Asylum, Migration, Cross-sectional
Keywords: Council of the European Union, Latvian presidency
Today the European Commission adopted its Work Programme for 2015 – setting out the actions the Commission intends to take over the next 12 months to make a real difference for jobs, growth and investment and bring concrete benefits for citizens.
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Main theme: Asylum, Migration, Cross-sectional
Keywords: European Agenda on Migration, work programme
The last update of reference amounts for the crossing of the external borders has been published in the EU Official Journal on 13 December 2014. Belgium’s requirements are outlined.
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Main theme: Borders & Visa
Keywords: external border, means of subsistence, Schengen borders code
Council conclusions on migration in EU development cooperation : the migration and development nexus
The Foreign affairs (development) Council meeting of 12 December 2014 has adopted a number of conclusions in the field of migration and development cooperation emphasizing the positive migration and development circle and orientations to strengthen this relation.
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Main theme: External Dimension
Keywords: migration and development, Foreign affairs Council meeting
As part of the implementation of the government agreement of October 2014 as well as of the new reception scheme, the reduction of available reception places for asylum seekers has been approved by the Council of Ministers of 11 December 2014.
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Main theme: Reception
Keywords: buffer capacity, Council of minister, reception facilities, State Secretary for Asylum Policy and Migration
Syria neighbouring States are increasingly affected by the number of refugees seeking sanctuary within their country. The European Commission is stepping up its assistance to Turkey, Jordan and Lebanon to contribute to address Syrian refugees’ needs.
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Main theme: Vulnerable groups, Asylum
Keywords: financial assistance, humanitarian support, Syrian refugees
The Justice and Home Affairs Council meeting gathering all EU 28 Justice and Home Affairs national ministers took place on 4 and 5 December 2014. Managing migratory flows, the functioning of the Schengen area and acting on foreign fighters were the main migration related topics discussed.
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Main theme: Asylum, Migration
Keywords: Council of the European Union, Home Affairs
On 4 December 2014, 22 Syrian refugees landed in Belgium for resettlement. 53 more are expected to arrive by the end of the year. Further resettlements of Syrian refugees are planned in 2015.
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Main theme: Reception, International Protection, Vulnerable groups
Keywords: resettlement, State Secretary for Migration and Asylum Policy, Syrian refugees
The Court of Justice of the European Union has issued a case-law in relation to international protection and protection of human rights in the case of alleged persecutions because of an applicant's sexual orientation.
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Main theme: Asylum, International Protection, Vulnerable groups
Keywords: Court of Justice of the European Union, credibility, fundamental rights, sexual orientation
Eurostat has released available data on asylum applicants and first instance decisions on asylum applications in the European Union in the third quarter of 2014
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Main theme: Asylum, Data & Statistics
Keywords: asylum applications
On 28 November 2014, the new State Secretary for Asylum Policy and Migration, Theo Francken, delivered the general policy note defining the main orientations and actions in the field of asylum and migration.
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Main theme: Asylum, Migration, Cross-sectional
Keywords: policy note, State Secretary for Asylum Policy and Migration
On the occasion of 25 November 2014 EP Plenary Debate on Migration, EU new Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship, Dimitris Avramopoulos, introduced the debate and presented the EU main orientations and policy fields for an integrated approach on migration and asylum
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Main theme: External Dimension, Asylum, Migration
Keywords: Commissioner on Migration and Home Affairs, European Agenda
The proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council, amending Regulation (EU) No 604/2013, aims at clarifying Member States’ responsibilities for examining the application for international protection of unaccompanied minors
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Main theme: International Protection, Vulnerable groups
Keywords: unaccompanied minors
Since 13 November 2014 and until May 2015, Belgium is chairing the Committee of Ministers, the political decision making organ of the Council of Europe. Under the Belgian Presidency, migration and asylum will be part of the issues tackled.
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Main theme: Asylum, Integration, Vulnerable groups
Keywords: asylum and the European Convention on Human Rights, Belgian Presidency, Council of Europe
On 11 November 2014, the European Commission has released its 6th bi-annual report on the functioning of the Schengen area covering the period from 1 May to 31 October 2014.
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Main theme: Borders & Visa, Irregular Migration, Return & Readmission, Data & Statistics
Keywords: border management, irregular migration path, Schengen, visa policy
Eurostat published data on first residence permits issued to non-EU nationals. A residence permit represents an authorization issued by the competent authorities of a country allowing third-country national (non-EU citizens) to stay legally on its territory.
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Main theme: Economic migration, Family reunification, Study § Training, Data & Statistics
Keywords: residence permit
On 20 October 2014, the European Ombudsman, Emily O'Reilly, has opened an investigation into how Frontex ensures the respect of fundamental rights of migrants who are subject to forced returns from the EU to their countries of origin.