The 26th edition of the EMN Bulletin provides information on developments at EU and national level (from January to March 2019) regarding general policy developments; the Common European Asylum System; unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups; legal migration and integration; the management of the EU external borders; irregular migration and return; trafficking in human beings; and external dimensions.

This edition contains - inter alia - information on:

At EU level:

• The European Border and Coast Guard Agency reached an agreement on operational cooperation with Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Under this agreement, teams of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency can be deployed in these Western Balkan countries with the view to assist them in border management and carry out joint operations.

• On 20 February, Member States endorsed the agreement reached by the European Parliament and the Council on the modernisation of the EU’s common visa policy. The new, stronger, more efficient and secure EU visa policy will bring changes on procedures’ flexibility, validity of multiple entry visas, cooperation on readmission and return as well as more resources will be allocated for strengthening security.

• On 19 February, the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs adopted the European Parliament Rapporteur’s report on the European Commission Proposal that established the Asylum and Migration Fund (AMF). During the period 2021-2027, the fund will provide support to Member States in efficient management of migration and return policies with a total financial assistance of € 10,415 billion.

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At national level:

• BE: On 22 February, the Commission for the evaluation of the voluntary and forced return policy presented an interim report that aims to improve transparency and dialogue on return. The report highlighted the issue of subsequent applications and suggested examining how to prevent abuses of such rules.

• BE: On 27 March, the Interior Committee of the parliament adopted an amendment that will make the issuance of humanitarian visa more transparent due to parliamentary debates on visas’ transparency. A report on inter alia humanitarian visa will be presented to the parliament on an annual basis.

• FR: On 1 January, several provisions of the Law No. 2018-778 of 10 September 2018 for a managed immigration, an effective right of asylum and a successful integration came into effect. These measures must reduce the general processing time of asylum applications and improve the functioning of the national reception scheme; they also aim to strengthen the efficiency of the fight against irregular migration.

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More developments and other information can be found in the Bulletin (document above).