Belgium and Morocco have signed an agreement to strengthen cooperation across multiple areas, aiming for concrete and measurable results. The deal covers security, justice, economic development, and migration. Belgium has also committed to supporting Morocco’s autonomy proposal for Western Sahara, a region that has been at the centre of an international dispute for nearly fifty years.

On 16 October 2025, twenty EU Member States signed a joint letter urging the European Commission to take coordinated steps to enable voluntary and forced return to Afghanistan. The initiative, led by Belgian Minister for Asylum and Migration Anneleen Van Bossuyt, calls for a coherent European approach to address cases of Afghan nationals residing irregularly in the EU, particularly those posing a threat to public order or national security. The signatories stress that credible migration policies require effective return mechanisms and call for tangible progress by the end of the year.

In maart 2025 stelde de Europese Commissie een verordening voor die een gemeenschappelijk terugkeersysteem moet invoeren voor derdelanders die zonder geldige verblijfsstatus in de EU verblijven. Dokters van de Wereld en PICUM publiceerden een rapport waarin zij mogelijke risico’s van dit voorstel onderstrepen, met name op het gebied van toegang tot gezondheidszorg en gegevensbescherming. Het rapport beschrijft hoe het voorstel de rechten van individuen, waaronder kwetsbare groepen, kan aantasten en brengt ethische bezwaren naar voren voor zorgprofessionals. De organisaties roepen de EU-wetgevers op om te waarborgen dat de verordening fundamentele rechten en medische ethiek respecteert.

Belgian Ministers of Justice and Asylum and Migration, Annelies Verlinden and Anneleen Van Bossuyt, visited Albania and Kosovo on 6–8 October 2025. Their discussions addressed migration management, prison overcrowding, and bilateral cooperation in justice and security. Meetings involved national authorities and highlighted ongoing collaboration between Belgium and the two countries.

The Fedasil Info Point in Brussels has been supporting asylum seekers and other migrants for two years, providing accessible and centralised information in one location. Since reopening on 27 September 2023 at the former Bordet Hospital site, it has welcomed over 22.000 visitors, mostly single men with ongoing asylum procedures. Visitors most frequently ask about accommodation, medical care, legal support, and other practical matters. Partners such as Caritas International and the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA) assist in providing guidance and support.

Fedasil is organising an exhibition on voluntary return and reintegration at the Wintercircus. The Ghent-based Magnum photographer Carl De Keyzer portrays the stories of, among others, Rosa from El Salvador and Igis from Albania. This exhibition is organised in collaboration with Caritas International and the International Organization for Migration, with the support of AMIF.

The Council of the European Union has adopted a recommendation outlining a common framework for the gradual transition of displaced Ukrainians out of temporary protection. The measures aim to support sustainable return and reintegration in Ukraine when conditions allow, while also facilitating access to other residence statuses for those eligible. The recommendation provides guidance on voluntary return, reintegration support and information systems for displaced persons.

The European Commission’s proposed Return Regulation introduces measures to increase return rates across the EU. These include extended detention periods, returns to non-EU countries with no prior personal ties, offshore “return hubs”, and obligations for individuals subject to return orders. Over 200 civil society organisations have raised concerns about fundamental rights, legal uncertainty, and disproportionate impacts. They call on EU institutions to withdraw the proposal and reject it in its current form.

Eight officers from the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) have started work at Brussels Airport to assist in return operations. They will operate alongside Belgian police to increase the number of returns. Their deployment follows the adoption of national legislation and a Royal Decree defining their powers and operational zones.

The Belgian Council of Ministers has approved a draft law enabling home searches, with judicial authorisation, in cases involving non-cooperative foreign nationals facing return and posing a threat to public order or national security. The measure is similar to one previously discussed in 2018 and will now be submitted to the Council of State for its opinion. Several civil society organisations have expressed concerns about its implications.

At their meeting on 13 June 2025, EU Home Affairs Ministers reached a political agreement to extend by one year, until March 2027, the temporary protection for people displaced from Ukraine. They also discussed ways to improve readmission cooperation with third countries and endorsed new priorities for the Schengen area.

Amnesty International and the Human Rights League are proposing a meeting with Françoise Tulkens, former judge and Vice-President of the European Court of Human Rights, and Manuela Cadelli, judge at the Court of First Instance of Namur, to examine the consequences of the letter from nine European authorities calling for a new interpretation of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). 

In response to a recent call by several European Heads of State to reinterpret the European Convention on Human Rights, six Belgian human rights institutions have voiced strong concerns. They warn that such initiatives risk undermining the authority and independence of the European Court of Human Rights. The institutions urge the Belgian federal government to remain consistent with its international commitments and to clearly reaffirm its support for the Court and the Convention.

Backed by Italy and Denmark, a group of nine EU Member States has issued a letter calling for a new interpretation of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) to facilitate the expulsion of foreign nationals convicted of crimes. While the letter's authors frame it as a call for open discussion, the move has raised concerns over judicial independence and the protection of fundamental rights in Europe.

Op 21 en 22 mei 2025 organiseerde de Return Expert Group van het Europees Migratienetwerk (EMN REG), in samenwerking met de Dienst Vreemdelingenzaken en EMN België, een tweedaagse workshop die 50 experten van EU-lidstaten, EU-agentschappen (waaronder Frontex en de EUAA), maatschappelijke organisaties en internationale organisaties samenbracht. Het evenement richtte zich op de ontwikkeling en implementatie van effectieve alternatieven voor detentie (ATD’s) binnen het migratie- en terugkeerbeleid van de EU.

De Europese Commissie heeft een voorstel gepubliceerd voor een verordening tot instelling van een gemeenschappelijk systeem voor de terugkeer van onderdanen van derde landen die illegaal in de Europese Unie verblijven. De nieuwe regels introduceren onder andere strengere verplichtingen, en de wettelijke mogelijkheid om personen die illegaal in de EU verblijven en een definitief terugkeerbesluit hebben ontvangen, terug te sturen naar een terugkeercentrum in een derde land. Het Europees Parlement en de Raad van de EU moeten het voorstel nu bestuderen en erover onderhandelen.

In 2024, 1.261 detainees were forcibly returned from Belgian prisons, down from 1.428 in 2023 and 1.511 in 2022, according to the Immigration Office. The most represented nationalities among those returned were Albanians, Moroccans, and Algerians. This decline comes amid ongoing challenges linked to prison overcrowding and changes in early-release policies.

The Benelux countries and Suriname have agreed to facilitate the return of individuals in irregular situations from the Benelux or Suriname to their country of origin. Additionally, they have decided to grant visa-free travel for diplomats and government officials between the Benelux countries and Suriname.

In a position paper published on 6 February 2024, the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) sets out the conditions that would have to be met for return hubs to respect fundamental rights and comply with EU law. This includes independent monitoring to reduce the risks of fundamental rights violations.

In 2024, Belgium saw a notable increase in the number of individuals choosing voluntary return to their country of origin. According to Fedasil’s press release from 3 February 2024, the total number of individuals opting for voluntary return rose by 11% compared to the previous year.