The list of safe countries of origin, which is revised once a year, was updated on 7 April 2023 and is now published in Belgium’s Official Journal. At present, the following countries are considered as safe countries of origin: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Republic of North Macedonia, Kosovo, Montenegro, Serbia, and India.
Read more
Main Theme: International Protection
Keywords: list of safe countries of origin
In its judgments in cases C-8/22, C-663/21 and C-402/22, the Court clarified the conditions for revoking or refusing refugee status with regard to a third-country national who is convicted of a crime. The individual concerned must, inter alia, constitute a genuine, present and sufficiently serious threat to one of the fundamental interests of society and the decision must observe the principle of proportionality.
Read more
Main Theme: International Protection
Keywords: refugee status, revocation, refusal
With this awareness campaign entitled "Working together in the fight against human smuggling – Help save lives!", the Police want to encourage both nautical equipment dealers and citizens to report suspicious purchases or movements on the beach to the police via 112, via the 112 app or directly via the 101.
Read more
Main Theme: Smuggling & Trafficking
Keywords: human smuggling, awareness campaign, nautical equipment
Following the recent tragic loss of life off the Greek coast, a short report of the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) suggests what the EU should do to prevent more deaths at sea. FRA calls on the European Commission, EU Member States and EU Agencies to act now to prevent future tragedies and save lives.
Read more
Main Theme: Irregular Migration
Keywords: migrant death, fundamental right, search and rescue
As Spain takes over the presidency of the Council of the European Union from 1st July until 31 December 2023, the Spanish Presidency has established its priorities and main directions. The Spanish presidency inter alia faces the challenge of finalising the Migration and Asylum Pact.
Read more
Main Theme: Cross-sectional
Keywords: Spanish Presidency
The European Council took place on 29 and 30 June 2023. European Council President Charles Michel published a post-summit communique on the migration discussions, which referenced the complaints by Warsaw and Budapest.
Read more
Main Theme: Cross-sectional
Keywords: solidarity, relocation
Following preliminary questions from German courts, the Court of Justice of the European Union clarified, in a judgment today, the conditions for loss of status under Council Directive 2003/109/EC of 25 November 2003 concerning the status of third-country nationals who are long-term residents.
Read more
Main Theme: Migration
Keywords: long term resident, loss of status
Today, in the Committee on Justice of the Belgian Chamber of Representatives, Minister Vincent Van Quickenborne announced that Mr. Klaus Vanhoutte, former director of Payoke and one of the experts of the Special Committee on Trafficking in Human Beings and People Smuggling, had been recruited and appointed as national coordinator for the fight against human trafficking and smuggling.
Read more
Main Theme: Smuggling & Trafficking
The European Commission asked Member States to increase their budget contributions by about 15 billion EUR for migration management, including to implement proposals under the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum. The new resources would support internal and external migration objectives and priorities.
Read more
Main Theme: Cross-sectional
Keywords: multiannual financial framework
World Refugee Day is an international day designated by the United Nations to honour refugees around the globe. It falls each year on 20 June and celebrates the strength and courage of people who have been forced to flee their home country to escape conflict or persecution.
Read more
Main Theme: Asylum
Keywords: World Refugee Day
At today’s Tent Partnership for Refugees' European Business Summit in Paris, 41 leading companies have collectively announced ambitious commitments to provide over 250,000 Ukrainian refugee women and other refugees with jobs and training across Europe. The commitments being made will strengthen companies’ workforces, fill labor gaps, and boost European economies.
Read more
Main Theme: Integration
Keywords: labour market integration
The European Migration Network (EMN) Glossary is an essential resource, which offers an EU-wide multidisciplinary vocabulary of approximately 500 terms and concepts related to asylum and migration. Let's focus today on the term "resettlement" to make sure we have a common understanding and use of the term!
Read more
Main Theme: International Protection
Keywords: resettlement
The population growth in Belgium in 2022 is the result of a positive international migration balance
Statbel, the Belgian statistical office, published today official figures relating to population movement. In 2022 the positive international migration balance, which offsets the negative natural balance, ensures a solid population growth. The strongly positive international migration balance in 2022 can be explained by the war in Ukraine.
Read more
Main Theme: Data & Statistics
Keywords: population movement, population growth, international migration balance
Today, Ministers responsible for Home Affairs reached an agreement on the asylum and migration management regulation and the asylum procedure regulation. Both laws are cornerstones of a new European migration and asylum policy.
Read more
EMN Belgium participated in the joint conference organised by EMN Georgia and EMN Latvia, titled: “A Commonly Understood Language as a tool in Migration Management: the EMN Asylum and Migration Glossary”. The conference highlighted the importance of the glossary and allowed to share experiences and challenges that arise when defining, translating and using asylum and migration-related terms.
Read more
Main Theme: Cross-sectional
Keywords: glossary, common terminology
Through a toolbox, the Commission wants to support Member States with strategic measures to address cases where transport means are misused to facilitate irregular migration to the EU, with a particular focus on airways.
Read more
Main Theme: Irregular Migration
Keywords: transport operator, smuggling network
The Western Balkans are at the heart of the European continent, surrounded by EU Member States. The migration situation in the region remains complex and challenges the institutional capacities of the Western Balkans, particularly in relation to border management, migrant smuggling and trafficking in human beings.
Read more
Main Theme: Cross-sectional
Keywords: Action Plan for the Western Balkans
During two lunch & learn sessions this week, the team of EMN Belgium met around 70 practitioners of the Immigration Office to inform them about the European Migration Network, to invite them to actively participate in the national network, and to explore concrete cooperation opportunities.
Read more
Main Theme: Cross-sectional
The special parliamentary Commission tasked to assess the Belgian legislation and policy on trafficking in and smuggling of human beings adopted today 100 recommendations dealing with various forms of exploitation such as economic exploitation, sexual exploitation, the exploitation of begging, forced criminality, illegal adoption, and forced marriage.
Read more
Today, the Commission adopted a Communication on the monitoring of the EU's visa-free travel regimes setting out a consultation process. To address challenges and prevent risks effectively, existing rules concerning the monitoring of the functioning of visa-free regimes with third countries and the suspension of visa exemptions should be re-assessed and improved.
Read more
Main Theme: Borders & Visa
Keywords: visa-free travel, visa suspension mechanism
Today, the Secretary of State for Asylum and Migration Nicole de Moor, the Minister of the Interior Annelies Verlinden, Fedasil, Child Focus, the Office of the Commissioner General for Refugees and Stateless Persons, and the Guardianship Service presented together a guide aimed at preventing and resolving the disappearance of unaccompanied foreign minors.
Read more
Main Theme: Vulnerable groups
Keywords: unaccompanied minors, disappearance
This morning, EMN Belgium participated in a roundtable, moderated by Special Envoy on Migration and Asylum Lieven De la Marche, with the contribution of representatives of the cabinet of the Secretary of State for Asylum and Migration, the Belgian Development Agency (Enabel) and the coalition for international solidarity (11.11.11). Belgian actors could share their views on the report which was presented to them.
Read more
Main Theme: Cross-sectional
Keywords: migration management
Myria has published the second thematic section of its 2023 annual report. This section entitled "Humanitarian and medical regularisation" reports that 2.038 persons were regularized on humanitarian grounds in Belgium in 2022 (10% less than in 2021) and 248 persons were authorised to reside in Belgium on medical grounds in 2022 (against 1,330 people whose application was refused).
Read more
Main Theme: Regularization
Keywords: humanitarian regularisation, medical regularisation
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen agreed to strengthen cooperation between the EU and UK on migration through developing a new working arrangement between UK agencies and Frontex, enabling them to "work together on critical operational and strategic challenges including the situation in the Channel".
Read more
Main Theme: Irregular Migration
Keywords: English channel, Frontex
This report is part of the Commission's initiative to further reinforce the Schengen governance through a yearly reporting exercise presenting the state of Schengen, identifying challenges and best practices, as well as priority areas for action. The State of Schengen Report 2023 will serve as basis for political discussions and steer at the Council on 8 June 2023.