Asylum and Migration Overview 2025 - Belgian report

The Belgian Asylum and Migration Overview 2025 identifies several key developments in asylum and migration policies, alongside political changes affecting migration and asylum governance, including:

• In 2025, Belgian asylum and migration policy was shaped by the formation of a new federal government and the adoption of the Federal Coalition Agreement 2025–2029, which set out a more restrictive overall policy direction.
   
• The Federal Coalition Agreement and subsequent policy note emphasise more selective labour migration, improved coordination between levels of government, more efficient single permit procedures, and stronger safeguards against exploitation and abuse.
   
• At federal level, important legislative changes were also made to family reunification rules, including higher income thresholds, stricter age and housing requirements, and waiting periods for certain sponsors.
   
• Belgium recorded 34.439 applicants for international protection, while the structural backlog in the procedure and the saturation of the reception network remained major concerns.
   
• While the number of new beneficiaries of temporary protection continued to decline, refusal decisions increased significantly.
   
• Developments concerning unaccompanied minors focused on age assessment, guardianship, reception, child protection and transition to adulthood. The number of unaccompanied minors entering the reception network declined further in 2025.
   
• In the field of citizenship, Belgium significantly increased the registration fee for applying for nationality.
   
• In the area of borders, visa and Schengen, developments include intensified internal police checks under Article 23 of the Schengen Borders Code, the further digitalization of visa processing and the rolling out of the Entry/Exit System (EES) and related interoperability measures.
   
• Trafficking in human beings remained an important policy priority, combining legislative and policy measures with targeted initiatives to enhance operational capacities, training and awareness-raising activities, and international cooperation.
   
• Measures to inform and guide irregularly staying migrants towards long-term solutions, including legal stay, voluntary return or another sustainable outcome, continued in 2025.
   
• Return remained central to Belgian migration policy in 2025 and continued to rest on two complementary pillars: assisted voluntary return and reintegration, and forced return.

For further details, please read the Belgian report attached above.

Asylum and Migration Overview 2025 - European report

The European Asylum and Migration Overview 2025, prepared on the basis of national Asylum and Migration Overviews from 30 EMN National Contact Points, highlights key developments, including:

• At the EU level, 2025 saw policy, legislative and operational developments across a wide range of migration and asylum-related areas. These included further implementation of the Pact on Migration and Asylum, the launch of the first annual migration management cycle, the full accession of Bulgaria and Romania to the Schengen Area, the rollout of the Entry/Exit System (EES), continued preparations for ETIAS, and legislative developments in the areas of return, asylum, migrant smuggling and trafficking in human beings.
   
• At the national level, changes in government and preparations for the implementation of the Pact on Migration and Asylum shaped migration and asylum policies. This included legislative reforms and changes to governance and institutional arrangements.
   
• Migration policies combined measures to attract specific categories of third-country nationals, such as highly qualified workers, students and other talent groups, with stricter rules on admission and stay. These included tighter eligibility criteria, enhanced monitoring and changes to visa frameworks.
   
• Many countries introduced measures to improve the efficiency of asylum procedures and manage pressure on reception systems. These included faster processing of applications and adjustments to reception arrangements in response to capacity challenges.
   
• 2025 saw a strong focus on strengthening the operational effectiveness of migration management systems, particularly in border management, return and efforts to tackle irregular migration. Measures included enhanced cross-border cooperation, investments in border infrastructure and reforms to improve the effectiveness of return procedures.
   
• Digitalisation continued as a key cross-cutting trend, supporting the modernisation of migration and asylum systems. This included the implementation of large-scale EU IT systems, including EES, ETIAS and the Visa Information System (VIS).
   
• Integration policies were developed further in 2025, with a strong emphasis on labour market participation and early integration. Measures included improving access to education and training, strengthening skills recognition, supporting language learning and facilitating access to employment.
   
• The situation of persons displaced from Ukraine remained a priority in 2025, with a growing focus on longer-term and more structural approaches beyond temporary protection. Measures addressed access to housing, healthcare and social welfare, while balancing integration objectives with system capacity and financial sustainability.
   
• Measures to protect vulnerable groups, including unaccompanied minors and victims of trafficking in human beings, were further strengthened in 2025. Developments included improvements to identification and age assessment procedures, guardianship systems and access to rights and protection.
   
• International cooperation continued through partnerships with third countries covering areas such as labour migration, return, anti-trafficking and capacity-building.

For further details, please read the full EU report attached above, as well as the Statistical Annex for additional data and trends.