13 January 2016
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
07 January 2016
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
01 January 2016
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
18 December 2015
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
18 December 2015
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
16 December 2015
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
15 December 2015
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
15 December 2015
The European Commission has today presented a recommendation for a voluntary humanitarian admission scheme to create a system of solidarity and responsibility sharing with Turkey for refugees from Syria.
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Main Theme: Asylum, External Dimension
Keywords: humanitarian admission, solidarity, Syrian refugees, temporary protection, Turkey
10 December 2015
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
04 December 2015
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
01 December 2015
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
20 November 2015
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
19 November 2015
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
12 November 2015
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
12 November 2015
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
09 November 2015
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
09 November 2015
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
05 November 2015
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.
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Main Theme: Migration, External Dimension
Keywords: development cooperation, EU Emergency Trust Fund, Niger
04 November 2015
Today, a first group of 30 asylum seekers was relocated from Greece to Luxembourg, in the framework of the EU's relocation scheme.
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Main Theme: Asylum
Keywords: relocation
03 November 2015
On 3rd of November 2015, the General Policy Note on Asylum and Migration of the State Secretary for Asylum Policy and Migration was published. It defines the main orientations and actions to be taken in the field of asylum and migration in 2016.
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Main Theme: Asylum, Migration
Keywords: policy note, State Secretary for Asylum Policy and Migration
27 October 2015
Today the European Commission decided to increase the level of cofinancing for the transport of the assistance via the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, following activation of the mechanism by Hungary, Serbia, Slovenia and Croatia.
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Main Theme: Reception
Keywords: EU Civil Protection Mechanism, refugee crisis
26 October 2015
During a meeting on 25 October, leaders from countries facing challenges along the Western Balkans Migration Route agreed on a 17-point plan of action.
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Main Theme: Asylum, Migration
Keywords: refugee crisis, migration crisis, Western Balkans
23 October 2015
The declaration presenting some of the key principles of the European Convention on Human Rights and the Belgian Constitution will be submitted to foreigners arriving in the country.
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Main Theme: Asylum, Integration
Keywords: Constitution, declaration of commitment, European Convention on Human Rights
20 October 2015
EU statistics on first residence permits in 2014 have been issued today. Eurostat explains key statistical findings.
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Main Theme: Data & Statistics
Keywords: first residence permit
20 October 2015
Today, the European Commission adopted two decisions in relation to the EU's Emergency Trust Fund for Africa announced by President Juncker in his State of the Union speech last September