Today, the law from 4 December 2012 modifying the Belgian Nationality Code with a view to making the aquisition of nationality neutral from an immigration point of view, was published.
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Main Theme: Citizenship & Nationality, Integration
Keywords: nationality code
This Eurostat news release shows that workers remittances amounted to 39.1 billion euro in 2011, up by 2% compared with 2010.
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Main Theme: External Dimension
Keywords: remittances
A press release of the national bank of Belgium indicates that the employment rate of persons born in a non-EU country is the lowest of all Member States, namely 45.8 % in 2011.
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Main Theme: Integration
Keywords: labour market
This recently published information sheet "EU Blue card: Highly qualified workers" provides information on beneficiaries, procedures, statuses, legal basis and appeals in this matter.
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Main Theme: Economic migration
Keywords: EU blue card, highly skilled workers
The Justice and Home Affairs Council, including the Belgian Ministers Joëlle Milquet and Annemie Turtelboom, and State Secretary Maggie De Block, met on 6 and 7 December 2012. The ministers also discussed issues concerning Immigration and Asylum.
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Main Theme: Asylum, Migration
Keywords: CEAS, Stockholm Programme, asylum procedure directive, Dublin Regulation, Eurodac Regulation
Every month, the Office of the Commissioner General for Refugees and Stateless persons (CGRS) publishes a document providing the statistics on asylum applications and first instance decisions.
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Main Theme: International Protection, Data & Statistics
Keywords: asylum applications, asylum decisions
A "White Marriages" cell has been created in the Special Laws Division of the Brussels South police area. It has started its activities on 3 december 2012.
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Main Theme: Family reunification
Keywords: investigation, legal cohabitation, marriage of convenience
On 29th November in Paris, the French NCP organised a conference on the CEAS. The next day there was a EMN-Cluster Meeting on reception conditions for asylum seekers in the EU: "existing mechanisms and good practices”
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Main Theme: Reception, International Protection
Keywords: CEAS
The article, reveals that family-related migration is the main driver for Belgium’s recent transition to a country of permanent settlement, with significant numbers of foreign-born students, workers, and refugees.
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Main Theme: Migration, Data & Statistics
Keywords: migrant population, migration policy
In its letter to partners, CBAR BCHV wants to be informed of decisions and judgements refusing the examination of applications from applicants originating from "safe countries of origin".
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Main Theme: International Protection
Keywords: safe country of origin
In a strategic Communication adopted today, the Commission examines how the implementation and development of the common visa policy could help growth in the EU by facilitating travel opportunities for third country nationals willing to visit the EU.
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Main Theme: Borders & Visa
Keywords: economy, growth, tourism
Every month, the Office of the Commissioner General for Refugees and Stateless persons (CGRS) publishes a document providing the statistics on asylum applications and first instance decisions.
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Main Theme: International Protection, Data & Statistics
Keywords: asylum applications, asylum decisions
The Justice and Home Affairs Council (JHA) achieved a Political Agreement on the Reception Conditions Directive, discussed recent developments in Syria and council conclusions were endorsed concerning the new EU strategy to combat human trafficking.
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Main Theme: Reception, International Protection, Smuggling & Trafficking
Keywords: CEAS, Syria
The Belgian Chamber of Representatives approved a proposition to tighten the conditions for acquiring the Belgian nationality. When the draft becomes law (probably on 1 January 2013), there will be integration requirements to acquire the Belgian nationality.
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Main Theme: Citizenship & Nationality
On 23 October, Maggie De Block answered many questions inter alia related to the European platform for the repatriation of unaccompanied minors (ERPUM).
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Main Theme: Vulnerable groups, Return & Readmission
Keywords: ERPUM, unaccompanied minors
Today, thanks to the Charles Ullens Price, the President of the King Baudouin Foundation, Ms Françoise Tulkens, rewarded the work of six young researchers on various challenges related to migration and integration.
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Main Theme: Migration, Integration
Keywords: Charles Ullens
The October edition of the European Asylum Support Office (EASO) newsletter has been published. EASO has also recently published its work programme for 2013.
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Main Theme: Asylum
Keywords: EASO, work programme
The latest statistics on asylum applications lodged in industrialized countries have been published today. The data covers the first half of 2012 in comparison to the first half of 2011.
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Main Theme: Data & Statistics
Keywords: asylum trend, registration, source country
Following a selection procedure, the Steering Board members of the European Migration Network approved four study topics to be addressed in 2013
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Main Theme: Asylum, Migration
Keywords: study topic
The Belgian Council of Ministers decided to provide a subsidy to finance prefabricated schools in Syrian refugee camps in Turkey. The assistance is provided in the framework of the policy on conflict prevention of Foreign Affairs.
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Main Theme: Reception, International Protection
Keywords: refugee camp, Syrian refugees
Maggie De Block, State Secretary for Asylum and Migration Policy, Social Integration and the Fight against Poverty, together with the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of Justice, proposed to the Council of Ministers to modify the concerned legislation.
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Main Theme: Family reunification
Keywords: legal cohabitation, marriage of convenience
Every month, the Office of the Commissioner General for Refugees and Stateless persons (CGRS) publishes a document providing the statistics on asylum applications and first instance decisions.
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Main Theme: International Protection, Data & Statistics
Keywords: asylum applications, asylum decisions
In its latest annual report, published today, the Council of Europe’s anti-trafficking watchdog GRETA (Group of experts on action against trafficking in human beings) urges countries across the continent to step up the fight against human trafficking.
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Main Theme: Smuggling & Trafficking
Keywords: convention on fighting human trafficking, investigation, prosecution, protection
In today's Chamber Judgement in the case Singh and Others v. Belgium which is not final, the European Court of Human Rights held that there had been a violation of Article 13 (right to effective remedy) taken together with Article 3 (inhuman or degarding treatment) of the ECHR.
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Main Theme: International Protection
Keywords: document, authenticity, effective remedy, European Court of Human Rights
On 28 September 2012 a call for proposals was published in the Belgian Official Gazette, making available resources provided for voluntary return in the annual program 2012.