In the summer of 2017, more and more transit migrants, who wish to go to the UK, were staying in the Maximilian park in Brussels. The Belgian government did not want this park to become ‘a new Calais’. A number of transit migrants were intercepted and detained. Because a lot of them were presumed Sudanese, a Sudanese delegation was invited to come to Belgium for identification. Left-wing politicians and NGOs stressed that the Sudanese regime’s human rights record is particularly worrying. Campaigns were organised to better inform the transit migrants. On 04.10.2017 these issues were debated in the Belgian Parliament.

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.

In order to preserve and strengthen the Schengen area, the Commission is proposing to update the Schengen Borders Code to adapt the rules for the reintroduction of temporary internal border controls to the current needs to respond to evolving and persistent serious threats to public policy or internal security.

The Finnish National Contact Point (NCP) of the European Migration Network organises its national conference "A longitudinal look at migration - global, Europea and national views" in Helsinki on 26 September 2017.

In het kader van het Estse voorzitterschap van de Europese Raad, organiseerde het Estse Nationale Contactpunt van het EMN op 21 en 22 september 2017 een tweedaagse conferentie. De deelnemers bogen zich over goede praktijken en uitdagingen om talent aan te trekken en te behouden voor de EU en de lidstaten.

In het kader van het Estse voorzitterschap van de Europese Raad, zal het Estse Nationale Contactpunt van het EMN op 21 en 22 september 2017 een tweedaagse conferentie organiseren. De conferentie zal worden gewijd aan ‘The EU in the Global Race for Talents: Challenges and Solutions in Strengthening EU’s Competitiveness’.

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. 

Today, President Jean-Claude Juncker presented next steps towards a stronger, more effective and fairer EU migration and asylum policy.

The judgment in joined cases C-643/15 and C-647/15 Slovakia and Hungary v Council has been delivered by the Court, calling Member States to respect the emergency relocation scheme for refugees, initiated by the EU at the height of the migration crisis

De Internationale Organisatie voor Migratie (IOM) heeft data gepubliceerd over het aantal binnekomsten in Europa. In vergelijking met de 273.000 binnenkomsten die zijn toegekomen tussen januari en 27 augustus, zijn er ongeveer 121.000 personen toegekomen in dezelfde periode dit jaar. Bovendien, waren er geen bercihten van dodelijke slachtoffers in de Middellandse Zee sinds 9 augustus. 

The State Secretary for Asylum Policy and Migration Theo Francken and the Walloon Minister for Employment have signed on 29 August a collaboration agreement intended to foster the socio-professional insertion of asylum seekers.

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.

Today, the European Commission has announced a new wave of emergency support projects to help refugees in Greece.

Today, the European Commission decided to refer Belgium to the Court of Justice of the EU for failing to fully implement the Single Permit Directive (Directive 2011/98/EU). Designed to facilitate legal migration, the Directive introduces simplified procedures and a common set of rights for non-EU workers.

Het Odysseus netwerk en het ‘Centre for European Studies’ van de Vrije Universiteit Brussel zullen, met de steun van het Belgisch contactpunt van het EMN, een debatavond organiseren. Dit debat zal gaan over ‘Immigrant Integration Policies of Belgian Regions: A Mirror of the Diversity in the EU?’

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.