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In a press release published today, the Office of the Commissioner General for Refugees and Stateless Persons (CGVS) announced that it would unblock the suspended cases of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip and the West Bank and start again to process all Palestinian cases.
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Main theme: International Protection
Keywords: Gaza, West Bank, refugee status, subsidiary protection status
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According to Statbel, the Belgian statistical office, 4.260 persons obtained Belgian nationality in September 2023. The main countries of origin of people who acquired Belgian nationality in September are Morocco, Syria, Romania, Afghanistan and Italy.
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Main theme: Citizenship & Nationality
Keywords: access to nationality, Belgian nationality
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While a draft law introducing a new right of residence for stateless persons is currently being discussed in Parliament, ENS and Nansen underline that the project has a large number of formal and substantive conditions and reduced procedural guarantees. They conclude that it is not compatible with the obligation to have a fair, effective and accessible procedure for the access of stateless people to their rights.
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Main theme: Statelessness
Keywords: stateless persons, right of residence
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The first 15 asylum seekers have arrived today at the new Fedasil reception centre in Grimbergen. The new reception centre, which will accommodate up to 100 people, is specifically intended for people with medical problems, as well as their families.
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Main theme: Reception
Keywords: reception centre, medical care
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On the proposal of the Secretary of State for Asylum and Migration Nicole de Moor, the Council of Ministers agreed today on the extension of support measures for the reception and support of asylum seekers in the Brussels-Capital Region. A total of 2000 places are now available for asylum seekers who cannot immediately get a place in the Fedasil reception network.
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Main theme: Reception
Keywords: homeless shelter, reception centre, reception crisis
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Myria has published the sixth thematic section of its 2023 annual report. This section entitled "International protection" reports that the refusal rate for asylum seekers from Afghanistan in 2022 is higher in Belgium (56%) than the average for EU countries (47%). In the event of return, some Afghan asylum seekers could risk degrading or even inhuman treatment (prohibited by Article 3 of the ECHR), given the current situation in Afghanistan.
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Main theme: International Protection
Keywords: Afghanistan, refusal rate, inhuman or degrading treatment
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In a press release published today, Doctors of the World declared that it opposes a new article of the draft law presented by Nicole de Moor, providing for the possibility of carrying out medical examinations under constraint to facilitate the forced return of third-country nationals. Doctors of the World says this measure risks further complicating access to health care for these particularly vulnerable people.
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Main theme: Return & Readmission
Keywords: proactive return policy, medical examination, constraint
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In a press release published today, Myria says it receives many reports from people linked in one way or another to Belgium, who are stuck in extremely threatening circumstances in Gaza.
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Main theme: Cross-sectional
Keywords: Gaza, Palestinian, visa application, international protection
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Through its campaign “So what, we continue the exploitation?”, the CIRÉ underlines that undocumented workers who informally fill the labour needs, are at risk of being exploited. It pleads to give them access to legal work, particularly through the single permit procedure.
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Main theme: Cross-sectional
Keywords: undocumented migrants, undocumented worker, single permit, labour shortages, labour exploitation
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Nicole de Moor presented today a draft law which aims, in accordance with the federal government agreement, to enshrine in law a proactive return policy. The draft law inter alia provides for the obligation to cooperate in the return procedure and for the intensive individual follow up of third-country nationals who have received an order to leave the territory.
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The Secretary of State for Asylum and Migration discussed today with mayors and aldermen of the five major cities of Antwerp, Brussels, Ghent, Charleroi and Liège to find ways to reduce the administrative burden in the field of asylum and migration, to guide illegally staying third-country nationals towards return and to implement social initiatives promoting, among others, the employment of applicants for international protection.
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Main theme: Cross-sectional
Keywords: cities, administrative burden, proactive return policy, labour market access
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Samusocial, CIRÉ, Médecins du Monde, Ilot and the Brussels Platform Armoede have launched the campaign "Without papers, without rights, without shelter" to demonstrate the reality of undocumented persons and to propose concrete recommendations to policymakers in this field.
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Main theme: Vulnerable groups
Keywords: homeless, undocumented migrants, access to employment, access to healthcare, gender
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The Flemish Bar Association obtained in court that the Immigration Office provide lawyers with a detailed organisation chart allowing them to enter directly into contact with the employees handling the cases they are defending.
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Main theme: Migration
Keywords: transparency, Immigration Office
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The campaign aims to raise awareness among people in Guinea of the dangers of irregular migration, such as the risk of exploitation and dangerous crossings. People are also made aware of local employment opportunities and legal migration channels.
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Main theme: Irregular Migration
Keywords: prevention campaign, awareness campaign, Guinea
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The 4th edition of the annual Migration & Health Seminar, jointly organised by the Institute of Tropical Medicine and the University of Antwerp (MIGLOBA; previously CEMIS), will focus on mental health and migration.
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Main theme: Vulnerable groups
Keywords: mental health, diversity, psychiatric care, mental well-being
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The Office of the Commissioner General for Refugees and Stateless Persons (CGVS) announced on 20 October 2023 that the notification of decisions granting or refusing subsidiary protection status to applicants from Gaza and the West Bank is suspended until the CGRS has sufficient objective information to assess the security situation in the Palestinian territories accurately.
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Main theme: International Protection
Keywords: Gaza, West Bank, refugee status, subsidiary protection status
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After the terrorist attack perpetrated by an illegally staying failed asylum seeker in the centre of Brussels on 16 October, various policymakers plead for better follow-up of failed asylum seekers and stricter enforcement of orders to leave the territory.
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Fencing work has started today along the Westkerke and Mannekensvere highway car parks on the E40 to prevent transmigrants from crossing the highway to climb into lorries aiming to reach the UK.
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Main theme: Irregular Migration
Keywords: transmigration, transmigrant, transit migrant
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The federal government has reached an agreement today on the 2024 budget. While 1.2 billion euros will improve the budget balance, 500 million euros will cover additional needs, including in the asylum and migration field.
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Main theme: Reception
Keywords: federal budget, reception crisis
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Since 2013, Belgium has already resettled more than 4,500 refugees. To celebrate the importance of the program, Fedasil organised today an event bringing together key national and international partners such as the Office of the Commissioner General for Refugees and Stateless Persons, UNHCR, IOM, Foreign Affairs, the Immigration Office and Caritas International.
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Main theme: International Protection
Keywords: resettlement
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The department "Alternatives To Detention" (ATD) from the Immigration Office organises walk-in counters for illegally staying persons who wish to receive ICAM coaching, every Wednesday from 9 until 12h in Brussels, Antwerp and Liège.
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Main theme: Irregular Migration
Keywords: individual case management, durable solution, illegally staying person
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On the proposal of the Secretary of State for Asylum and Migration Nicole de Moor, the Council of Ministers approved today a draft royal decree relating to the granting of material assistance to applicants for international protection benefiting from professional income.
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Main theme: Reception
Keywords: material assistance, professional income, reception cost
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As part of an investigation into acts of trafficking in human beings, 30 brothels in the northern district of Brussels have been placed under judicial seal. 25 people were subject to judicial arrest and 23 others were administratively deprived of their liberty.
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Main theme: Smuggling & Trafficking
Keywords: sexual exploitation, human trafficking
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On the occasion of the European Anti Trafficking Day (on 18 October), PAG-ASA organizes the second Human trafficking awareness week in Brussels! A series of events from 16 to 20 October will give you the opportunity to learn about the issue, better understand its impact on victims and gain insight into the Belgian protection procedure.
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Main theme: Smuggling & Trafficking
Keywords: human trafficking, awareness week
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On the proposal of the Secretary of State for Asylum and Migration Nicole de Moor, the Council of Ministers agreed today that people who live outside the reception network receive information and support from Fedasil. The Council of Ministers approved an action plan and funding for this purpose.