On 24 January 2023, the State Secretary for Asylum and Migration, Nicole De Moor, attended the Commission for Home Affairs, Security, Migration and Administrative Affairs in regard to the reception challenges Belgium faces regarding applicants for international protection.

The UNODC Global Report on Trafficking in Persons 2022 was published today. It shows inter alia that climate change increases vulnerability to trafficking and that armed conflicts are another breeding ground for trafficking.

The EU could see an influx of up to four million more Ukrainians in 2023, and Russia will seek to further weaponize migration from North Africa and the Middle East. These are just two of the forecasts made in the latest Migration Outlook report 2023 from the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD).

In a policy note published this week, ECRE analyses EU Member States’ policies and practices on “pendular” movement to and from Ukraine and makes recommendations to ensure security of status and rights for people covered by the TPD regime.

In 2022, Fedasil welcomed 71 refugees resettled in Belgium, mostly Syrians from Jordan, Egypt and Lebanon. This figure is not in line with the objectives set at the beginning of last year.

As from 4 January 2023, beneficiaries of temporary protection with an A card valid until 4 March 2023 can present themselves to the municipality to request a new one valid until 4 March 2024.

The Swedish Presidency programme sets out the priorities and main direction for the Swedish Presidency of the Council of the European Union from 1 January until 30 June 2023.

The selected migrant integration indicators allow monitoring of the Commission’s actions defined in the Action plan on Integration and Inclusion 2021-2027 in relation to education and training, employment opportunities and skills recognition, as well as access to health services, and adequate and affordable housing. 

The Commission is proposing two new Regulations to strengthen the use of advanced passenger information. The new rules, that will replace the 2004 API Directive, will enhance external border controls and the fight against serious crime and terrorism within the EU.

The EMN Member Countries have voted on the topics which will be analyzed in studies and informs in 2023. In line with the targets outlined in the 2023-2025 work programme of the EMN, 3 new studies and 10 new informs will be published next year.

During the Justice and Home Affairs Council on 8-9 December 2022, Ministers highlighted the need to address the external dimension of migration in a comprehensive manner, taking into account all routes and making joint or complementary efforts where possible.

The Conference allowed participants to gain insight into legal provisions against labour exploitation and to examine the role of different actors in upholding the rights of foreign workers. Good practices and lessons learnt from selected countries were presented and discussed.

During the High Level Forum to protection and resettlement cooperation, 16 EU Member States pledged more than 29.000 places for resettlement and humanitarian admission for 2023, including continued and expanded support to Afghans in need of protection.

The Court of Justice of the European Union interpreted Article 2(f) and Article 10(3)(a) of the Family Reunification Directive in its decision from 17 November 2022 in the case X v Belgium. An unaccompanied refugee minor residing in a Member State does not have to be unmarried to enjoy the right to family reunification with first-degree relatives in direct ascending line.

On 15 and 16 November 2022, EMN Belgium welcomed over 20 enthusiastic young people from a variety of backgrounds at its EMN Migration Youth Event. Over the course of two days, they were submerged in a programme focusing on both the theory and the practice of asylum and migration policy in Belgium and the European Union.

In the Chamber of Representatives today, Nicole de Moor presented the main lines of its policy on asylum and migration. Despite the many current challenges, the State Secretary intends to carry out reforms in this field.

EMN Belgium participated in the EMN Cyprus and EMN Luxembourg Joint national conference titled "Six months into applying the Temporary Protection Directive". The event took place in Cyprus on 13 October 2022.

An integral part of managing the EU’s external borders is respect for people’s fundamental rights. A new guidance from the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) suggests how EU countries should set up independent national schemes to monitor fundamental rights compliance at the EU’s external borders.

The Commission announced a series of measures to continue supporting those fleeing the unprovoked Russian aggression. A new online job-search tool launched today will help people fleeing Russia's invasion of Ukraine to successfully find a job in the European Union. After registering with the EU Talent Pool pilot initiative, those under temporary protection can upload their CVs, so that their profiles are available to more than 4,000 employers, national public employment services and private employment agencies. Ensuring a swift and effective integration into the labour market is important both for host communities, and for those fleeing the war to rebuild their lives.

This report presents key developments in the area of migration and asylum, and it takes stock of the progress achieved in the New Pact on Migration and Asylum in the past year. It also identifies key challenges ahead and recalls the steps needed for a more robust and fair migration and asylum policy.

Are you aspiring to be the next Ursula Von der Leyen? Are you eager to learn more about asylum and migration? Are you comfortable expressing yourself in English? The European Migration Network Belgium is happy to announce its Migration Youth Event, bringing together young people from all over Europe. Enriching discussions alternate with a visit to a reception centre, interactive learning tools are followed by stepping in the shoes of a refugee and fun is mixed with learning. After two days in the heart of decision-making ‘Brussels’, you return home with a backpack filled with new impressions, new knowledge and new connections!

EMN Belgium, the Belgian development agency Enabel, and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Belgium & Luxembourg, organised on 1 & 2 June 2022 a (hybrid) conference on "Skills Mobility Partnerships”. Here you can find the PowerPoint presentations, the concept note, the videos and some photos of the event.

To what extent could digital services support migration and asylum management? This joint EMN-OECD inform focuses on specific areas in the asylum, migration and acquisition of citizenship procedures, and border control management, where digital technologies may be used.

The annual report contains a complete overview of the asylum figures of 2020. It also focuses on the impact of COVID-19, on the functioning of the CGRS and on the international asylum context. The annual report is available in Dutch and French in an online version and in PDF format.

The European Migration Network invites you to participate in a survey on one of its key products: the EMN Asylum and Migration Glossary.