Publication date:
The consultation for the ex post evaluation for 2014-2020 ISF Police aims to strengthen the evidence base of the evaluation by gathering the views of all relevant stakeholders. You can contribute to this consultation by filling in an online questionnaire before 21 November 2024.
Read more
Main theme: Borders & Visa
Keywords: internal security fund, evaluation
Publication date:
The public consultation for the Internal Security Fund - Borders and Visa (ISF BV) ex-post evaluation for 2014-2020 aims to strengthen the evidence base of the evaluation by gathering the views of all relevant stakeholders for the ISF BV programme. You can contribute to this consultation by filling in an online questionnaire before 21 November 2024.
Read more
Main theme: Borders & Visa
Keywords: ISF, evaluation
Publication date:
On 19 September 2024, EMN Belgium presented the findings of its national contribution to the upcoming EMN Study on the Illegal Employment of Third-Country Nationals (2017-2022), in a comparative perspective with the national contributions from EMN Austria and EMN Italy.
Read more
Publication date:
Checks are being temporarily reintroduced at Germany's borders with Belgium, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Denmark. They will run from 16 September 2024 until 15 March 2025 to, among other things, reduce irregular migration and combat people smuggling.
Read more
Main theme: Borders & Visa
Keywords: border control, border check, Schengen, internal border control
Publication date:
Myria has published the third thematic section of its 2024 annual report. In this section entitled "Right to family life", Myria calls for more accurate, regular and transparent information regarding the family reunification procedure at its various stages, both at the level of diplomatic posts and external service providers, ensuring the accessibility – including linguistic – of this information for the target audience.
Read more
Main theme: Family reunification
Keywords: long-stay visa, first residence permit, application for family reunification
Publication date:
In a press release from 9 September 2024, the Secretary of State for Asylum and Migration Nicole de Moor reacted to the Hungarian government’s recent threats to send migrants to Brussels. She advocated for a joint, coordinated policy, in which respect for European values and international obligations are central.
Read more
Main theme: Irregular Migration
Keywords: migration instrumentalization, European cooperation, mutual trust
Publication date:
The European Migration Network (EMN) Hungary Presidency High-Level Conference will focus on possible avenues for more effective and efficient implementation of returns, with special emphasis on the important aspects of the return procedure, internal coherence, and joint cooperation with third countries and digitalisation to support the common EU system for returns.
Read more
Main theme: Return & Readmission
Keywords: return policy
Publication date:
Students, who were originally from Syria and Congo before becoming refugees in Egypt and Uganda, have the opportunity to start this new academic year in Belgian universities thanks to the legal and sustainable migration pathway offered by the university corridors.
Read more
Main theme: Study § Training
Keywords: university corridor, legal pathway, refugee
Publication date:
The Walloon administration announces that new regulations come into force on 1 September 2024 regarding salaried economic migration for foreign workers in Wallonia. The system remains largely unchanged in its principles, still falling within the broader framework of the Single Permit for work and residence authorization for foreign workers. However, a new decree of the Walloon Government organizes new features and modifications.
Read more
Main theme: Economic migration
Keywords: foreign workers, employer, single permit, EU blue card
Publication date:
The law of 10 March 2024 amending the law of 15 December 1980 on the right to family reunification comes into force on 1 September 2024. The changes have an impact among other things on the right to family reunification for parents of accompanied minors with international protection, the right to family reunification for stateless persons, the assessment of minorhood in the asylum procedure or residence procedure for stateless person, etc.
Read more
Main theme: Family reunification
Keywords: right to family reunification, application for family reunification
Publication date:
The current weather conditions increase the risk that human smugglers will send groups of transmigrants, including small children, out to sea in overcrowded rubber boats, often with inadequate life jackets. To avoid this, the West Coast police zone and the Federal Police require special attention for people who cross the Channel from the Belgian coast to the United Kingdom in small boats.
Read more
Main theme: Smuggling & Trafficking
Keywords: transmigrant, small boat, English channel
Publication date:
While not a new phenomenon, the exploitation of workers employed in the nail industry has gained increased attention in recent years. Multiple reports point to this sector as being a target of choice for human trafficking and economic exploitation.
Read more
Main theme: Smuggling & Trafficking
Keywords: economic exploitation, nail bar
Publication date:
An IOM-Harvard report shows that close to half of the child victims of trafficking were being trafficked for forced labour (mainly boys), in a wide range of industries, such as domestic work, begging and agriculture. Sexual exploitation, including through prostitution, pornography, and sexual servitude, is also prominent, affecting 20 per cent of trafficked children, predominantly girls.
Read more
Main theme: Smuggling & Trafficking
Keywords: child trafficking, vulnerability, forced labour, sexual exploitation
Publication date:
The latest report from the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) identifies systemic gaps and obstacles to investigating rights violations at EU borders. The report suggests concrete steps to ensure more effective investigations into incidents of loss of life and ill-treatment at the EU’s borders.
Read more
Main theme: Borders & Visa
Keywords: fundamental rights, violation, investigation, external border
Publication date:
Tuesday 30 July is the International Day against Trafficking in Persons. On this occasion, the Halle-Vilvoorde public prosecutor's office, together with the Labour Auditor's Office, invite as many people as possible to be vigilant and to report suspicious situations via the Belgian helpline for victims of human trafficking or via the new telephone number: 078/055.800.
Read more
Main theme: Smuggling & Trafficking
Keywords: victim of trafficking, national helpline
Publication date:
In a judgement from 29 July 2024, the Court of Justice of the EU states that a Member State may reject an abusive application for an authorisation to reside on its territory for the purpose of study, even if it has not correctly transposed the directive that provides for that option.
Read more
Main theme: Study § Training
Keywords: abusive application, abusive practice, abusive intention, study
Publication date:
EMN Italy organises a national conference laying focus on attracting international talent and skilled labor and on fostering co-development between Member States and third countries. Through an exchange of experiences and best practices, the legal framework and challenges in this matter will be discussed.
Read more
Main theme: Economic migration
Keywords: talent mobility, skilled migrants
Publication date:
Before 8 October 2024, public bodies or a public or non-public implementing agency or body of a Member State can apply for funding and submit their proposal to support the implementation of the Global Alliance to Counter Migrant Smuggling and its call to action to strengthen international cooperation on preventing and responding to migrant smuggling.
Read more
Main theme: Smuggling & Trafficking
Keywords: call for proposals, migrant smuggling, global alliance to counter migrant smuggling
Publication date:
On 22 July 2024, the Minister of Justice officially launched the Blue Heart Campaign at the Antwerp city hall. EMN Belgium joined local authorities, the three specialised centres for victims of human trafficking, Myria, the Social Intelligence and Investigation Service and the IOM on this occasion. As one in three victims of human trafficking globally is a child, this year's global campaign urges accelerated action to end child trafficking.
Read more
Main theme: Smuggling & Trafficking
Keywords: blue heart campaign, child victim of trafficking, victims of human trafficking
Publication date:
On 14 July 2024, the revised EU Anti-Trafficking Directive enters into force with stronger rules to fight trafficking in human beings. The revised Directive introduces stricter criminalisation and provides stronger tools for public authorities to investigate and prosecute new forms of exploitation, including those that take place online, and ensure better assistance and support to victims.
Read more
Main theme: Smuggling & Trafficking
Keywords: Anti-Trafficking Directive
Publication date:
The number of irregular border crossings into the European Union in the first six months of 2024 fell to roughly 94.000, according to preliminary data collected by Frontex. The Western Balkans and the Central Mediterranean recorded the largest decreases in detections of irregular border crossings, while the West African and the Eastern Land Border have seen the largest increases.
Read more
Main theme: Borders & Visa
Keywords: Frontex, European Border and Coast Guard, irregular border crossing
Publication date:
On 1 July 2024, Hungary took over the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union for a duration of six months. Among the country’s seven priorities for its EU presidency are " stemming illegal migration” and bringing the Western Balkans countries “one step closer” to EU membership.
Read more
Main theme: Irregular Migration
Keywords: Hungarian Presidency
Publication date:
On 13 June 2024, the Council of the European Union agreed its position on the proposal for an EU Talent Pool to facilitate the recruitment of talent from third countries who live outside the EU, to make the EU labour market more competitive and to tackle shortages on the European labour market.
Read more
Main theme: Economic migration
Keywords: EU Talent Pool, shortage occupation, talent mobility
Publication date:
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.
Read more
Main theme: Cross-sectional, Asylum, Migration
Keywords: temporary protection, Ukraine, visa policy, Schengen, border control, interoperability
Publication date:
This online annual conference, organised by the Academy of European Law (ERA), will debate the latest developments and challenges in the EU’s internal and external border management. It will inter alia analyse the latest proposals and reforms on the functioning and operation of EU border management systems, including Schengen, as well as Frontex’ role and responsibilities.