News | EMN

3.721 persons obtained Belgian nationality in May 2023

10 August 2023

According to Statbel, the Belgian statistical office, 3.721 persons obtained Belgian nationality in May 2023. The main countries of origin of people who acquired Belgian nationality in May are Morocco, Syria, Romania, Afghanistan and Italy.

Main Theme: Citizenship & Nationality

Keywords: access to nationality, Belgian nationality

Nearly 3,7 million first residence permits issued in the EU in 2022, according to Eurostat

04 August 2023

According to data on first residence permits published by Eurostat, almost 3,7 million first residence permits were issued in the EU to non-EU citizens in 2022, a 26% increase (+753 445 permits) compared with 2021. This figure does not include persons granted authorization to reside and benefiting from temporary protection status for which statistics are collected under a separate data collection framework.

Main Theme: Data & Statistics

Keywords: first residence permit

The Flemish Minister for the Interior and Civic Integration wants to fast-track newcomers towards bottleneck professions on the labour market

03 August 2023

As part of his “Turbo Plan”, Flemish Minister for the Interior and Civic Integration, Bart Somers (Open VLD) wants newly-arrived third-country nationals without a high school diploma to undergo training in order to be able to practice a bottleneck profession. This training would be part of the civic integration programme.

Main Theme: Integration

Keywords: civic integration programme, shortage occupation, on-the-job training

The Secretary of State Nicole de Moor wants to discourage irregular migration from Nigeria to Belgium

28 July 2023

The Secretary of State for Asylum and Migration tasked the Immigration Office to implement a prevention campaign to make people in Nigeria aware of the dangers of human trafficking, exploitation and the risks associated with irregular migration.

Main Theme: Irregular Migration

Keywords: prevention campaign, human trafficking, Nigeria

EMN Belgium attends the launch of the Blue Heart Campaign against human trafficking

24 July 2023

Today, the Minister of Justice, Mr. Vincent Van Quickenborne, officially launched the campaign in Liège. On this occasion, he inaugurated the new telephone number - 078 055 800 - of the Belgian helpline for victims of human trafficking.

Main Theme: Smuggling & Trafficking

Keywords: blue heart campaign, victim of trafficking

Economic migration is on the rise in Belgium, according to Myria

24 July 2023

Myria has published the fourth thematic section of its 2023 annual report. This section entitled "Economic migration, free movement en students" reports that 8.098 long-stay visas were granted for professional reasons to third-country nationals in 2022 (46% more than in 2021) and 19.721 single permits were issued to third-country nationals in 2022 (75% more than in 2021).

Main Theme: Economic migration

Keywords: long-stay visa, single permit, posted worker, student

Climate related migration can take many forms, according to MPI

20 July 2023

In a new article published today, the Migration Policy Institute reviews definitions of climate migration and questions the value of such a definition. It explores the difficulties of distinguishing climate migrants from other kinds of economic or humanitarian migrants, particularly in low- and lower-middle-income countries, and it highlights that the populations most vulnerable to climate change are often those who cannot migrate.

Main Theme: Cross-sectional

Keywords: environmental migrants, climate refugee, climate migrant

Belgium violated article 6 ECHR in the case of Camara v. Belgium, according to the European Court of Human Rights

18 July 2023

In today’s Chamber judgment in the case of Camara v. Belgium, the European Court of Human Rights held, unanimously, that there had been a violation of Article 6 (right to a fair hearing) of the European Convention on Human Rights. It could not accept that the time taken by the Belgian authorities in the present case to enforce a court order aimed at protecting human dignity had been reasonable.

Main Theme: Reception

Keywords: European Court of Human Rights, right to a fair hearing, reception, reception crisis

The EU and Tunisia agree to implement a "comprehensive strategic partnership" including on migration

16 July 2023

Today, Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Olivér Várhelyi and Secretary of State of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Migration and Tunisians Abroad, Mounir Ben Rjiba, signed a memorandum of understanding covering macro-economic stability, trade and investment, green energy transition, people-to-people contacts, and migration.

Main Theme: Cross-sectional

Keywords: memorandum of understanding, partnership, Tunisia

The Belgian Red Cross-Flanders is looking for volunteers to help refugees searching for missing relatives

14 July 2023

During the first six months of 2023, the Belgian Red Cross-Flanders already helped 152 people – mostly refugees – in their search for lost relatives. That is the highest number since 2017. The organisation is looking for volunteers who want to commit at least 6 hours a week to help find the missing relatives.

Main Theme: Family reunification

Keywords: refugee, missing relative

2755 applicants for international protection registered in Belgium in June 2023

14 July 2023

The CGRS has published the asylum figures for June 2023. The Immigration Office registered 2,740 applicants for international protection. Another 15 persons were registered in the framework of resettlement. As a result, the total number of applicants in June is 2,755.