In December of this year, the Office of the Commissioner General for Refugees and Stateless Persons was asked by the Belgian government to carry out an independent enquiry on the fate of the Sudanese nationals who recently returned to their country of origin.

A the beginning of December 2017, the European Commission has published the common "Return Handbook". It provides Member States with common guidelines, best practices and recommendations to be used by Member States' competent authorities when carrying out return-related tasks. 

Vandaag heeft het Belgische Contactpunt van het Europees Migratienetwerk (EMN) een conferentie georganiseerd over de voornaamste ontwikkelingen op het vlak van asiel en migratie die zich hebben voorgedaan in 2017.

This full day conference will provide an opportunity to exchange information on family reunification schemes, in Ireland and abroad. Drawing on the findings of a recently published European Migration Network study the family reunification policy frameworks operational elsewhere in the EU will be discussed and compared.

As of 2 November 2017, family members of foreign nationals who obtained a long term resident status in another Member State and reside in Belgium will not have to obtain a work permit if the long term residents themselves do not require such a permit.

Op 26 oktober 2017 werd de algemene beleidsnota asiel en migratie van de Staatssecretaris voor Asiel en Migratie gepubliceerd. De beleidsnota brengt een overzicht van de belangrijkste verwezenlijkingen en beleidsprioriteiten op het vlak van asiel en migratie.

Het Belgisch Contactpunt van het EMN organiseerde op 05.10.2017 een bijeenkomst te Brussel over de illegale tewerkstelling van derdelanders. Deze conferentie bracht toonaangevende experten samen voor een constructieve en stimulerende dialoog over deze interessante problematiek.

The European Commission published a mid-term review of what has been achieved so far in delivering the European Agenda on Migration. It also sets out new initiatives from the Commission to address key areas, and identifies where further efforts are needed in the coming months.

The European Commission has launched a public consultation to collect evidence, experiences, data and opinions to support the evaluation of the existing EU legal framework for the legal entry and stay of nationals of non-EU countries to the EU Member States. The deadline is 18 September 2017. 

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.

The Conference of the Dutch Contact Point of the EMN, which will take place in the Hague on 18 May 2017, will focus on family reunification in the Netherlands and Europe.

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.

The Conference of the Swedish National Contact Point of the EMN, which will take place in Stockholm on 12 May 2017, will focus on family reunification in Sweden and in the EU.

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.