24 July 2018
Today, the Commission is expanding on the concept of controlled centres as well as short-term measures that could be taken to improve the processing of migrants being disembarked in the EU, and giving a first outline of the possible way forward for the establishment of regional disembarkation arrangements with third countries.
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Main Theme: Borders & Visa
Keywords: controlled centre, regional disembarkation arrangement
17 July 2018
Today, the State Secretary for Asylum Policy and Migration and his Tunisian counterpart signed an agreement which focuses on cooperation regarding migration and return.
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Main Theme: Irregular Migration, Return & Readmission
Keywords: Tunisia, bilateral agreements
20 June 2018
The EASO Annual Report on the Situation of Asylum in the European Union 2017 provides a comprehensive overview of developments at European level and at the level of national asylum systems. Based on a wide range of sources, the Report looks into main statistical trends and analyses changes in EU+ countries as regards their legislation, policies, practices, as well as national case law.
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Main Theme: Asylum
Keywords: EASO, Common European Asylum System
07 June 2018
Today, 10 families with a humanitarian visa arrived in Zaventem. They will apply for international protection once in Belgium. They will be hosted in Christian communities, in cooperation with Caritas, during the first year.
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Main Theme: International Protection
Keywords: humanitarian visa
01 June 2018
On the 31st of May and 1st of June, the Bulgarian Contact Point of the EMN - in the framework of the Bulgarian Presidency of the Council - organized the EMN Annual Conference. The conference was dedicated to challenges and success factors in managing migration flows.
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Main Theme: International Protection, Borders & Visa, Irregular Migration, Smuggling & Trafficking
Keywords: migration management, EMN Annual Conference
27 May 2018
The Royal Decree of 23 April 2018 introduced changes with regards to extending or ending the stay of international students. It details – inter alia – in which cases an order to leave the territory can be issued to a student when he/she extends his/her studies in an excessive manner considering the results.
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Main Theme: Study § Training
Keywords: student
16 May 2018
In this report, the Commission is reporting on progress made under the European Agenda on Migration and the Commission's roadmap from December 2017, and is setting out further key actions to be taken.
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Main Theme: Migration
Keywords: European Agenda on Migration
16 May 2018
Eurostat published a statistical analysis on the number of unaccompanied minors who applied for international protection in 2017. the 31,400 applications represent an important decrease compared to previous years.
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Main Theme: Vulnerable groups, International Protection
Keywords: unaccompanied minors
15 May 2018
In 2018, the European Migration Network (EMN) celebrates its 10 year anniversary. On this occasion, the EMN organized a conference on 15 May in Brussels.
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27 April 2018
Commissioner Avramopoulos has congratulated the EMN on it's approaching 10th anniversary in a speech.
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Main Theme: Cross-sectional
Keywords: European Commission
12 April 2018
In a judgment handed down today, the EU Court of Justice responded to a Dutch prejudicial question on family reunification of (unaccompanied minor) refugees. Following the reasoning of the Court, an unaccompanied minor who attains the age of majority during the asylum procedure retains its right to family reunification.
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Main Theme: Family reunification
Keywords: unaccompanied minors, family reunification right, international protection
03 April 2018
To raise awareness about illegal employment of third-country nationals in Belgium and the EU, and to draw attention to the EMN studies on this subject, the Belgian Contact Point of the EMN has made a short video.
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Main Theme: Migration
Keywords: illegal employment
28 March 2018
Two United Nations agencies are joining forces to combat migrant smuggling. They organized an event centering on a Joint Platform on Countering Migrant Smuggling.
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Main Theme: Smuggling & Trafficking
Keywords: migrant smuggling
26 March 2018
Following the adoption of the Cooperation Agreement on the Single Permit Procedure on 2 February 2018, different legislative texts have been adopted at the federal and regional levels in March 2018 to approve this Cooperation Agreement.
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Main Theme: Economic migration
Keywords: single permit directive
24 March 2018
The government approved on 24 March 2018 a new reduction plan for reception places for applicants for international protection. Today the reception network consists of 23,815 reception places. This should be reduced to 16,629 reception places in 2019, of which 10,044 collective places and 6,585 individual reception places. With this plan, the network returns to the level preceding the reception crisis.
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Main Theme: Reception
Keywords: reception place
23 March 2018
In February, Fedasil, the federal agency in charge of the reception of asylum seekers, has signed a framework agreement with the Belgian development agency, Enabel (www.enabel.be).
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Main Theme: Return & Readmission
Keywords: coopération au développement
23 March 2018
Voluntary returns to the countries of origin are decreasing. Among others, this is the result of the lower number of asylum applications the past two years.
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Main Theme: Return & Readmission
Keywords: voluntary return
20 March 2018
Today Eurostat published the 2017 statistics on 'Asylum in the EU' on its website. It covers main trends and characteristics of first time applicants and first instance decisions on asylum applications for 2017 in the EU.
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Main Theme: International Protection
Keywords: asylum applications, asylum decisions
14 March 2018
The European Commission proposes to reform the EU's common visa policy. It also reports on - and calls for - further progress under the European Agenda on Migration. Finally it mobilises additional funding for Syrian refugees in Turkey.
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Main Theme: External Dimension, Migration
Keywords: European Agenda on Migration, visa code, Turkey
12 March 2018
Today, March 12, 2018 the Law of 21 November 2017 (adopted in the Parliament on Nov. 9) modifying the Immigration Act was published in the Belgian Official Gazette and will come into force on March 22, 2018.
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Main Theme: International Protection
Keywords: asylum law
26 February 2018
Today, the Belgian Minister of Home Affairs, the Belgian State Secretary for Asylum Policy and Migration met with the British Home Secretary in London to discuss the issue of transit migration.
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Main Theme: Borders & Visa, Irregular Migration, Smuggling & Trafficking
Keywords: transit migration, transit migrants, United Kingdom
23 February 2018
From 21 until 23 February 2018, the Belgian State Secretary for Asylum Policy and Migration, Theo Francken, visited Guinea in order to discuss the questions of – inter alia - irregular migration and return.