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.

In a press release published on 27 January 2025, the Secretary of State for Asylum and Migration announced that Belgian authorities could organise the forced return of Afghans to Istanbul and that partners on the ground could then take them to Afghanistan. This collaboration and the budgets for it still need to be finalised by a new government.

On the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the International Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons, UNHCR and NANSEN organise a study day on statelessness. Particular emphasis will be placed on the rights of stateless persons and the specific procedures applicable in Belgium, in particular the new residence procedure for stateless persons.

Myria has published the fifth thematic section of its 2024 annual report. In this section, entitled « International protection », Myria pays particular attention inter alia to the new residence procedure for stateless persons. The Federal Migration Centre underlines that the new procedure is subject to strict conditions and that it provides reduced procedural guarantees for stateless persons.

De nationale conferentie van EMN Finland voor 2024 onderzoekt de stand van zaken en de toekomstperspectieven van de situatie van Oekraïners in Finland en in EU-landen. De conferentie richt zich op de uitdagingen van integratie in een situatie waarin personen die tijdelijke bescherming genieten zich tussen twee landen bevinden. De conferentie probeert deze personen te ondersteunen in het spanningsveld tussen integratie en terugkeer.

De high-level EMN conferentie in kader van het Hongaarse voorzitterschap zal zich richten op mogelijke manieren om terugkeer effectiever en efficiënter te laten verlopen. Speciale aandacht zal gaan naar belangrijke aspecten van de terugkeerprocedure, interne samenhang, samenwerking met derde landen en digitalisering ter ondersteuning van het gemeenschappelijke EU-systeem voor terugkeer.

In its overview of national forced return monitoring systems across the EU in 2023, the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) noted that only one EU Member State did not monitor its national forced return operations in 2023. It also highlighted persistent challenges that affect the transparency and effectiveness of monitoring operations.

In a recent judgment, the Court of Justice of the European Union found that an administrative authority which rejects an application for a residence permit based on national law and, consequently, finds that the third-country national concerned is staying illegally on the territory of the Member State in question, must ensure compliance with the principle of non-refoulement, by reviewing, in the light of that principle, the return decision previously adopted against that national in the context of a procedure for international protection. 

A few days after 17 European countries called on the European Commission to submit a new legislative proposal for more effective returns, Justice and Home Affairs Ministers discussed the issue of return during a working lunch in Luxembourg. They tasked experts with starting to explore innovative ideas related to returns. 

In a non-paper, seventeen European countries called on the European Commission to submit a new proposal for more effective returns. The letter emphasises the need for a stricter EU return system with clearer obligations for cooperation from the returnees and less interpretation by the European Court of Justice.

As the 1954 Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons celebrates its 70th anniversary on 28 September 2024, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) estimates the number of stateless people worldwide at more than 4 million by the end of 2023.

The law of 10 March 2024 which creates a residence status as a stateless person in Belgium, comes into force on 1 September 2024. Applications for admission to stay on the grounds of statelessness must now be submitted directly to the Immigration Office by registered mail.  

Op deze multistakeholder vergadering, gezamenlijk georganiseerd door de Raad van Europa en het EMN Luxemburg in het kader van het 'EMN Platform on Statelessness', zullen deelnemers goede praktijken en uitdagingen kunnen uitwisselen over onderwerpen als de leeftijdsbepaling en het belang van het kind; de bewijslast in het speciale geval van kinderen, en de toegang tot nationaliteit voor kinderen.

On 2 May 2024, the Chamber of Representatives adopted in plenary session the draft law for a proactive return policy. This law inter alia introduces the obligation for the foreigner to cooperate in the return process and it expands the pool of return escorts. The law also enshrines the principle according to which minor children aren't retained in closed centres.

Op 26 april 2024 keurde de ministerraad, op voorstel van Staatssecretaris voor Asiel en Migratie Nicole de Moor en Staatssecretaris belast met de Regie der Gebouwen Mathieu Michel, de openbare aanbesteding goed voor twee nieuwe gesloten centra in Jabbeke en Jumet.

A large delegation from the federal government, accompanied by senior police officers and senior administration officials, is leading a mission to Morocco. The fight against illegal immigration and the return policy are among the priority issues discussed with the Moroccan authorities.

Op voorstel van minister van Binnenlandse Zaken Annelies Verlinden heeft de Raad van Ministers een voorontwerp van wet goedgekeurd waarin de bevoegdheden van de medewerkers van de Europese grens- en kustwacht op nationaal grondgebied tijdens officiële missies worden vastgelegd. 

The Expert Conference on Return and Reintegration, jointly organised by Belgium’s Federal Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (Fedasil), the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD), the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex), and the Migration Policy institute Europe (MPI-E) marked a significant moment during the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the EU.