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Today, Italy declared a state of emergency over the “sharp rise” in the number of migrants arriving on the country’s shores through the dangerous Mediterranean route. It’s the first time Italy has resorted to such a drastic measure since 2011.
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Main theme: Irregular Migration
Keywords: state of emergency, Italy, Mediterranean region
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Frontex is launching a new open call for proposals aimed at concluding new framework partnership agreements to provide post-arrival and post-return assistance in 39 countries of origin, with qualified service providers from the non-profit sector, international organisations and national authorities from EU Member States and Schengen Associated Countries for a period of two and a half years.
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Main theme: Return & Readmission
Keywords: reintegration program, post-arrival assistance
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The Secretary of State for Asylum and Migration Nicole de Moor is on a mission to Vietnam to strengthen cooperation with that country regarding the prevention of irregular migration and return.
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Main theme: Return & Readmission
Keywords: Vietnam, irregular migration, migrant smuggling
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Legal practitioners are invited to register for this online conference which will give them the opportunity to discuss current developments and reforms in legal migration law with high-level experts in the field.
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Main theme: Economic migration
Keywords: legal migration, EU blue card, migrant worker, labour market
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Nicole de Moor calls for an interministerial conference on labour migration to better protect and integrate migrant workers. Integration courses for this target group should be considered.
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Main theme: Economic migration
Keywords: migrant worker, Integration path, housing
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Several major challenges have affected the EU's external borders in recent years, including the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. These multiple challenges impacted figures and trends and urged policy developments which are clearly presented in a briefing released today by the European Parliament.
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Main theme: Borders & Visa
Keywords: border management, border security, external border
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Today, the Commission adopted a Communication that presents the strategic framework for European integrated border management (EIBM) for 5 years and a Recommendation to Member States on the mutual recognition of return decisions and expediting returns.
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Main theme: Borders & Visa
Keywords: European integrated border management, return decision, border control, fundamental rights
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In the first two months of 2023, the number of irregular border crossings reported by national authorities increased to 28 130, roughly in line with the same period last year. The Central Mediterranean and Western Balkan routes remain the most active.
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Main theme: Irregular Migration
Keywords: irregular border crossing, Central Mediterranean route, Western Balkans route
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Today the upgraded Schengen Information System (SIS) enters into operation to enhance security and border management in Europe. The renewed SIS is being enhanced to include new categories of alerts, biometrics such as palm prints, fingermarks, and DNA records for missing persons, and additional tools to combat crime and terrorism.
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Main theme: Borders & Visa
Keywords: Schengen Information System, border management
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In the House of Representatives today, Nicole de Moor responded to numerous questions regarding possible fraudulent cases of applications for single permits. All involved actors, including the Flemish Region, the Federal Public Service Foreign Affairs and the Immigration Office, are now part of a working group to foster information exchange and avoid future abuses.
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Main theme: Economic migration
Keywords: single permit, fraud
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The 2nd European Border Managament Conference was held in Athens on 23 and 24 February 2023. Participating Member States inter alia underlined the importance of effective control of EU's external borders and required legal, financial, operational and technical measures as well as a whole-of-the-route approach to ensure this.
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Main theme: Borders & Visa
Keywords: border control, border management
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During a press conference at the maritime police in Ostend, the Minister of Justice, Vincent Van Quickenborne, said that the strong approach towards human smugglers has led to a 90% drop in transit migrants to the UK.
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Main theme: Smuggling & Trafficking
Keywords: transit migrants, transit migration
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In 2022, 2,673 persons voluntarily returned to their country of origin. The number is higher than before the corona period, when 2,426 persons returned voluntarily in 2019.
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Main theme: Return & Readmission
Keywords: voluntary return, forced return
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People affected by the earthquake in Turkey and Syria who wish to travel to Belgium to receive support from their families will have their visa application handled faster.
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Main theme: Borders & Visa
Keywords: earthquake, visa application
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Ahead of the Family Reunification Directive’s 20th anniversary, this new comparative report provides a comprehensive overview of the current implementation of the Directive and other forms of realisation of family unity for individuals in need of protection across 23 European countries based on ECRE’s Asylum Information Database (AIDA).
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Main theme: Family reunification
Keywords: Family Reunification Directive, family reunification right
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The UNODC Global Report on Trafficking in Persons 2022 was published today. It shows inter alia that climate change increases vulnerability to trafficking and that armed conflicts are another breeding ground for trafficking.
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Main theme: Smuggling & Trafficking
Keywords: human trafficking
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The Commission is proposing two new Regulations to strengthen the use of advanced passenger information. The new rules, that will replace the 2004 API Directive, will enhance external border controls and the fight against serious crime and terrorism within the EU.
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Main theme: Borders & Visa
Keywords: advanced passenger information
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The Conference allowed participants to gain insight into legal provisions against labour exploitation and to examine the role of different actors in upholding the rights of foreign workers. Good practices and lessons learnt from selected countries were presented and discussed.
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Main theme: Smuggling & Trafficking
Keywords: forced labour, labour exploitation
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The Court of Justice of the European Union interpreted Article 2(f) and Article 10(3)(a) of the Family Reunification Directive in its decision from 17 November 2022 in the case X v Belgium. An unaccompanied refugee minor residing in a Member State does not have to be unmarried to enjoy the right to family reunification with first-degree relatives in direct ascending line.
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Main theme: Family reunification
Keywords: Family Reunification Directive, unaccompanied minors, family reunification right
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An integral part of managing the EU’s external borders is respect for people’s fundamental rights. A new guidance from the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) suggests how EU countries should set up independent national schemes to monitor fundamental rights compliance at the EU’s external borders.
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Main theme: Borders & Visa
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Are you interested in labour mobility schemes between Africa and Europe? For the last three years, the MATCH project has been piloting circular migration schemes between two African countries (Senegal and Nigeria) and four European countries (Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and Italy).
Join the closing conference for more information about lessons learned and the way forward for this project.
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Main theme: Economic migration
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EMN Belgium, the Belgian development agency Enabel, and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Belgium & Luxembourg, organised on 1 & 2 June 2022 a (hybrid) conference on "Skills Mobility Partnerships”. Here you can find the PowerPoint presentations, the concept note, the videos and some photos of the event.