Publication date: 28 October 2025
This ad hoc query examines the extension of alerts in the Schengen Information System (SIS) under Article 3 of Regulation 2018/1860 for persons who don’t leave the territory and whose alert is approaching its expiration date.
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Main theme: Irregular Migration
Publication Type: Ad Hoc Queries
Keywords: Schengen Information System, alert on return, extension, individual review
Publication date: 01 June 2025
This research paper introduces the "IRMIGRIGHT", the first bespoke database of social and labour rights of irregularly staying migrants in twenty-eight European countries. A number of findings emerge from the data analysis, including the fact that, on average, irregularly staying migrants have significantly weaker social rights than labour rights.
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Main theme: Irregular Migration
Publication Type: Study
Keywords: irregularly staying third-country national, social right, labour right
Publication date: 03 December 2024
This ad hoc query maps the schemes in place across EMN Member and Observer Countries to issue residence permits for so-called “digital nomads”, or persons who work remotely for an employer registered outside of their country of residence. Emphasis is placed on the issue of the use of forged documents in the applications for such permits.
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Main theme: Economic migration, Irregular Migration
Publication Type: Ad Hoc Queries
Keywords: residence permit, digital nomad, forged document
Publication date: 30 November 2024
This ad hoc query examines national regulations and practices concerning the employment of third-country nationals during short stays or visa-free stays, as well as the procedures in place to issue long-stay D-visas for the purpose of employment.
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Main theme: Economic migration, Borders & Visa
Publication Type: Ad Hoc Queries
Keywords: short-stay visa, long-stay visa, right to work, access to employment
Publication date: 11 October 2023
In response to the growing awareness of the barriers for irregularly staying adult migrants to access higher education, vocational training and employment, the Netherlands sought to map out existing legislation and practices in other EMN Member countries to facilitate this access.
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Main theme: Economic migration, Study § Training, Irregular Migration
Publication Type: Ad Hoc Queries
Keywords: access to education, access to employment, irregularly staying third-country national
Publication date: 02 March 2023
In the Czech Republic, a marriage can, under the current legislation, only take place if both parties have legal residence on the territory. By launching this ad hoc query, the Czech National Contact Point (NCP) to the European Migration Network (EMN) wanted to know more about the existing practices in other Member Countries.
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Main theme: Family reunification, Irregular Migration
Publication Type: Ad Hoc Queries
Keywords: marriage of convenience, illegal stay
Publication date: 25 October 2022
Unaccompanied minors who have little or no perspective of receiving a residence permit within EU Member States, may have co-existing problems such as mental health issues or substance addiction. This ad hoc query examines how EU Member States deal with this specific group and how they could improve the reception and supervision of these young persons.
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Main theme: Vulnerable groups, Reception, International Protection, Irregular Migration
Publication Type: Ad Hoc Queries
Keywords: unaccompanied minors, mental health, criminality
Publication date: 08 August 2018
This EMN study aims at analysing the impact of EU rules on return policies and practices of Member States (including Belgium), and hence on the effectiveness of return decisions issued across the EU.
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Main theme: Irregular Migration, Return & Readmission
Publication Type: Thematic Studies
Keywords: return directive
Publication date: 01 December 2017
This EMN Policy Brief examines trends in applications for international protection and irregular movements of third-country national migrants across the EU and Norway. It focuses on the period 2012 - 2016 and – where data is available - up to August 2017. This is an update of the Policy Brief published in December 2015.
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Main theme: International Protection, Borders & Visa, Irregular Migration, Smuggling & Trafficking
Publication Type: Informs
Keywords: asylum applications, asylum decisions, Mediterranean, migratory route, secondary movement
Publication date: 25 August 2017
This EMN Inform summarizes the main findings of the EMN study "The Illegal Employment of Third-Country Nationals in the EU".
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Main theme: Economic migration, Irregular Migration, Return & Readmission, Smuggling & Trafficking
Publication Type: Informs
Publication date: 10 May 2016
What image do irregular migrants and their representatives have of voluntary return? Is voluntary return well-known? These topics are the focus of a study carried out by the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (KUL).
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Main theme: Irregular Migration, Return & Readmission
Publication Type: Study
Keywords: voluntary return
Publication date: 10 May 2016
This study, published by the Platform for International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants (PICUM), focuses on links between the Europe 2020 Strategy and undocumented migrants.
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Main theme: Irregular Migration, Integration
Publication Type: Study
Keywords: EU 2020 Strategy, social inclusion, undocumented migrants
Publication date: 28 January 2016
22 (Member) States provided information on their practices regarding illegally working migrants, more precisely on whether this is considered a criminal offence and what possible sanctions they face. This query was launched by the British National Contact Point.
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Main theme: Economic migration, Irregular Migration
Publication Type: Ad Hoc Queries
Keywords: illegal work, irregularly staying third-country national
Publication date: 05 January 2016
This EMN Policy Brief presents key data on the irregular movements of people across the EU external borders and within the European Union itself, whether as asylum-seekers or as migrants, over the past few years and including the first nine months of 2015.
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Main theme: Asylum, Irregular Migration, Data & Statistics
Publication Type: Thematic Studies
Keywords: asylum applications, asylum decisions, Mediterranean, migratory route, secondary movement
Publication date: 05 January 2016
This EMN Inform shows how movements of asylum-seekers, migrants and displaced persons to the EU have changed and evolved in 2015.
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Main theme: Asylum, Irregular Migration, Data & Statistics
Publication Type: Informs
Keywords: Mediterranean, migration route, secondary movement
Publication date: 03 November 2015
This EMN Inform summarises the main findings of the EMN Study "Dissemination of Information on Voluntary Return: how to reach irregular migrants not in contact with the authorities".
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Main theme: Irregular Migration, Return & Readmission
Publication Type: Informs
Keywords: voluntary return
Publication date: 17 September 2015
This EMN study analyses and compares the different approaches used by Member States to ensure irregular migrants are informed of options for return.
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Main theme: Irregular Migration, Return & Readmission
Publication Type: EMN Reports & Studies
Keywords: voluntary return
Publication date: 07 September 2015
This report by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights aims to estimate the economic cost of providing timely access to healthcare for migrants in an irregular situation, compared with providing treatment only in emergency cases.
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Publication date: 04 April 2015
The European Parliament Think Tank has published a briefing presenting facts and figures about irregular immigration in the EU.
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Main theme: Irregular Migration, Data & Statistics
Keywords: illegal border crossing, illegal entry, illegal stay, obligation to leave the territory
Publication date: 01 April 2015
The Frontex Annual Risk Analysis (ARA) presents a European summary of trends and developments along the external borders of the Member States of the EU.
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Main theme: Borders & Visa, Irregular Migration
Publication Type: Report
Keywords: entry refusal, illegal border crossing, irregular entry, irregular stay, obligation to leave the territory
Publication date: 11 December 2014
This Inform summarizes the main findings of the corresponding EMN study aimed at analyzing Member States’ use of entry bans and readmission agreements as the EU main policy measures to implement effective return policies
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Main theme: Irregular Migration, Return & Readmission
Publication Type: Informs
Keywords: entry ban, forced return, readmission agreement, return directive
Publication date: 11 December 2014
This focused study presents an analysis of (Member) States’ use of entry bans and readmission agreements and also identify good practices in this field, including possible synergies in the implementation of return and reintegration measures.
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Main theme: Irregular Migration, Return & Readmission
Publication Type: Thematic Studies
Keywords: entry ban, forced return, readmission agreement, return directive
Publication date: 04 December 2014
This policy brief, produced by the Migration Policy Centre, focuses on immigration to Europe via the Mediterranean and related issues such as smuggling, sea routes, Mare Nostrum and risks encountered by migrants. It also provides statistics and data.
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Main theme: Irregular Migration, Smuggling & Trafficking
Publication Type: Study
Keywords: boat migrant, human smuggling, Mare Nostrum, Mediterranean, migrant death
Publication date: 03 November 2014
This focused study presents an analysis of (Member) States use of detention and alternatives to detention in the context of immigration policies and identifies similarities, differences and good practices in this field
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Main theme: Irregular Migration, Return & Readmission
Publication Type: Thematic Studies
Keywords: alternative to detention, detention
Publication date: 03 November 2014
This Inform summarizes the main findings of the corresponding EMN study aimed at analyzing Member States’ use of detention and alternatives to detention in the context of immigration policies