According to the Missing Migrants Project, an estimate of 7495 men, women and children migrants or refugees died or were reported missing across five continents in 2016. That is almost 20 victims per day and the number may not include them all.

In 2016, there was a sharp drop in the number of asylum applications in Belgium, and the number of decisions taken by the Commissioner General for Refugees and Stateless Persons reached an all-time high.

Enkele speciaal gemachtigde ambtenaren van de Dienst Vreemdelingenzaken kregen rechtstreekse toegang tot bepaalde delen van de Algemene Nationale Gegevensbank van de politie. 

From 1 January to 30 June 2017,  Malta will hold the presidency of the Council of the EU. The presidency will focus on 6 key areas: migration, single market, security, social inclusion, Europe's neighbourhood and maritime sector.