Following up on the Commission's Action Plan to support Italy from 4 July, the EU Trust Fund for Africa adopted today a programme worth €46 million to reinforce the integrated migration and border management capacities of the Libyan authorities.

The return of irregular migrants is one of the main pillars of the EU’s policy on migration and asylum. In this light the EMN will conduct in 2017 a study on ‘The effectiveness of return in EU Member States: challenges and good practices linked to EU rules and standards‘. The synthesis report of this study is expected to be published at the end of 2017. The Belgian national report will probably be published at the beginning of 2018.

Today, the thematic Council of Ministers on security, justice and defence approved a series of measures, including the proposal of the State Secretary for Asylum Policy and Migration to increase the capacity of the closed detention centres for irregularly staying migrants.

This conference of the German Contact Point of the EMN, which will take place in Berlin on 4 May, focuses on return counselling, integrated return management and reintegration.

Today, two new laws have entered into force. They focus on the procedure to end the residence rights and organized the removal of foreign nationals legally residing in Belgium for reasons of public order or national security.

Today the European Commission presented new measures in the context of the review of the EU return policy which was announced in the Malta Declaration from 3 February 2017.

Six years after the promotion of a “new approach to a new neighbourhood” following the 2011 uprisings, what is the state of play of EU’s cooperation with the MENA region in the field of migration and asylum? This session will allow to reflect on the EU's external cooperation in the field of migration and asylum with South and East Mediterranean countries.

On 3 February 2017, the 28 Heads of States discussed the external dimension of migration at the informal summit in Malta. They adopted the Malta Declaration.

In october 2016, Fedasil has opened a new return desk in Charleroi, where migrants can receive information and assistance on voluntary return.

The REDIAL conference proposes for discussion some of the most contentious issues in the implementation of the Return Directive.

The Finnish Contact Point of the EMN organizes this conference to present and discuss the outcomes of the EMN study on the return of rejected asylum-seekers.

Op 6 en 7 juli heeft het Slowaakse nationale contactpunt van het EMN - in het kader van het Slowaakse voorzitterschap van de EU - de jaarlijkse EMN conferentie georganiseerd. Dit jaar had de conferentie als thema duurzame terugkeer en samenwerking met landen van herkomst in dit verband.

At the initiative of the State Secretary for Asylum Policy and Migration, the premiums granted to Afghan and Iraqi nationals who voluntarily return to their country of origin have been temporarily doubled.

Op 6 en 7 juli zal het Slovaakse Nationale Contactpunt van het EMN - in het kader van het Slovaakse voorzitterschap van de EU - de jaarlijkse EMN conferentie organiseren over terugkeer en samenwerking met de landen van herkomst.

The Commission has announced today the approval of new actions in the Horn of Africa region under the EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa.

The Commission finds that good progress has been made to implement the EU-Turkey Statement.

The EU and Turkey have found an agreement in order to end irregular migration from Turkey to the EU.