During the last Justice and Home Affairs Council under the Belgian Presidency, Ministers agreed to extend the temporary protection for Ukrainians for one year. This will run until March 2026.

On 12 June 2024, the European Commission adopted the Common Implementation Plan which sets out the key milestones for all Member States to put in place the legal and operational capabilities required to successfully start applying the New Pact on Migration and Asylum by mid-2026. It provides a template for the National Implementation Plans to be adopted by Member States by the end of this year.

In case C-646/21, the Court of Justice of the European Union clarified that women, including minors, who share as a common characteristic the fact that they genuinely come to identify with the fundamental value of equality between women and men during their stay in a Member State may be regarded as belonging to ‘a particular social group’, constituting a ‘reason for persecution’ capable of leading to the recognition of refugee status.

According to Statbel, the Belgian statistical office, 5.882 persons obtained Belgian nationality in March 2024. The main countries of origin of people who acquired Belgian nationality in March are Morocco, Syria, Romania, Afghanistan and Turkey.

According to the 2024 Global Trends Report from UNHCR, one in every 69 people, or 1.5 % of the entire world’s population, is now forcibly displaced. The rise in overall forced displacement was the 12th consecutive annual increase and reflects both new and mutating conflicts and a failure to resolve long-standing crises. 

Doctors Without Borders, Doctors of the World, CIRÉ, Vluchtelingenwerk Vlaanderen, BelRefugees, Caritas International, and the Humanitarian Hub underline the permanent lack of reception, protection and access to medical services for applicants for international protection without a reception place. They want to challenge policy-makers and raise public awareness about people left left on the street.

According to the figures released by Statbel, the Belgian statistical office, the share of Belgians with a Belgian background has decreased from 79,9% in 2004 to 64,8% in 2024. The share of Belgians with a foreign background increased by 5,1 percentage points between 2004 and 2014. The proportion of non-Belgians increased from 8.3% in 2004 to 13.7% in 2024.

The international migration balance, i.e. the difference between the number of immigrations and emigrations, was positive in Belgium in 2023. The positive international migration balance offset the negative natural balance and ensured a fairly strong population growth by 66.093 inhabitants, or by 0.57%.

From 20 to 27 April 2024, Belgium participated, with 30 other countries, in the EMPACT Joint Action Days targeting human trafficking for labour exploitation purposes. The action resulted inter alia in 160 perpetrators and 334 potential victims identified and led to the arrest of 51 persons.

Myria has published the first thematic section of its 2024 annual report. This section entitled "Population and movements" reveals that, largely due to the war in Ukraine, Belgium recorded a 48% increase in immigration of foreigners into the country in 2022, compared to 2021. It also highlights that the number of first residence permits increased by 52% in 2022, compared to 2021. 

The list of safe countries of origin, which is revised once a year, was updated on 12 May 2024 and is now published in Belgium’s Official Journal. At present, the following countries are considered as safe countries of origin: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Republic of North Macedonia, Kosovo, Montenegro, Serbia, India and Moldova. 

On 27 May 2024, the Council of the European Union adopted a directive that inter alia adds new forms of exploitation and considers knowingly using the service provided by a trafficking victim as a criminal offense. It also strengthens prevention measures as well as the support for and assistance to victims.

On 24 May 2024, the Council of the European Union, with Spain and Slovenia abstaining, finally adopted the reform of the Schengen Borders Code. The reform inter alia aims to make the Schengen area more resilient to present and future crises at its external borders. 

In its 2023 annual report, the Federal Institute for Human Rights draws attention, among other things, to the failure of the authorities to enforce the rulings of the Belgian and European courts and tribunals, in particular in the context of the reception crisis. The lack of resources for the judiciary, threats to human rights defenders and weaknesses in the right to information are also underlined.

On 23 May 2024, the Commission and representatives of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and civil society discussed the implementation of the New Pact on Migration and Asylum. NGOs asked the Commission to encourage EU countries to work with civil society. They also shared concerns on the border procedure and respect of fundamental rights, and underlined the need for resources.

On 22 May 2024, a joint conference hosted by Fedasil and the EUAA highlighted innovative collaboration models designed to strengthen migration systems. The event brought together diverse participants from various EU Member States, including government bodies, international organisations, civil society groups, and private entities. It focused on strategies to improve the reception, information provision, and pre-integration of international protection applicants.

In Palestinian cases, several elements prevent the Office of the Commissioner General for Refugees and Stateless persons (CGRS) from taking a decision within the initial six-month period after receiving the application for international protection. The CGRS commits to ensuring that Palestinian cases are processed more quickly and that a decision can be taken within 21 months of the submission of the application for protection.

Fifteen European countries plead with the European Commission to go beyond the New Pact on Migration and Asylum. They push for comprehensive, mutually beneficial and durable partnerships with third countries located along the migratory routes. They also want to inter alia explore solutions aimed at rescuing migrants on the high seas and bringing them to a predetermined place of safety in a partner country outside the EU.

On 14 May 2024, the Council of the European Union adopted 10 legislative acts which reform the entire European framework for asylum and migration management. Member States will now have two years to put the laws that were adopted today into practice. The European Commission will soon present a common implementation plan to provide assistance to Member States in this process.

During this conference, representatives from the European Commission, EMN NCPs and universities, shared practices and critical reflections on information campaigns, new tools and innovative approaches as well as benefits and challenges in the current context. Particular attention was paid to evaluating the impact of information campaigns.

According to Statbel, the Belgian statistical office, 5.297 persons obtained Belgian nationality in February 2024. The main countries of origin of people who acquired Belgian nationality in February are Morocco, Romania, Syria, Afghanistan and Turkey.

The Secretary of State for Asylum and Migration announced that applications for international protection from people from safe countries of origin have been processed in 12 working days and those from people originating from countries for which a low rate of protection is granted in 39 days, since 1 February 2024. This aims to free up places in the reception network for those who actually need protection. 

Eurostat published 2023 figures regarding immigration law enforcement in the EU, with a particular focus on people refused entry in the EU, people found to be illegally present in the EU, people ordered to leave an EU country and people returned following an order to leave. 

On Friday 3 May 2024, the Council of Ministers approved a draft royal decree appointing Pieter Spinnewijn as Director General of the Federal Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (Fedasil). His mandate will begin on 1 July 2024 for a period of six years.

On 2 May 2024, President von der Leyen was with Cypriot President Christodoulides in Beirut to announce a financial package of EUR 1 billion for Lebanon to contribute to the country's socio-economic stability and to migration management. The deal has already received criticism from various quarters.