Irregular migration continues to pose challenges to EU Member States, as set out most recently in the European Commission's Communication on the work of the Task Force Mediterranean presented in December 2013. In March 2014, the European Commission outlined in its Communication on EU Return Policy that in order to face the challenge of irregular migration, a holistic approach is needed.

Within this framework, the EMN Conference 2014 aimed to present a forum to debate these important issues, to raise awareness about the work of the EMN and its sub-group, the Return and Reintegration Experts‟ Group (REG) on this important topic, and to present the preliminary findings of the following recent EMN studies:

• The use of detention and alternatives to detention in the context of immigration policies; and
• Good practices in the return : Member States’ entry bans policy and use of readmission agreements between Member States and third countries.

Following the official opening of the Conference, four Panel discussions were held, covering the topics of effective cooperation for return which focused on cooperation (I) within the EU and (II) with third parties; incentives for return and reintegration (III), and detention and alternatives to detention (IV). In the last panel the Belgian practice with the use of family units was presented as an example of an alternative to detention.

Some 180 participants attended the Conference, including representatives from the European Commission, 28 EMN National Contact Points, international and regional organisations (e.g. the Fundamental Rights Agency, IOM, Migration Policy Institute), National and International Academics and researchers, and representatives from Governmental Departments in third countries.