Today, the Commission is expanding on the concept of controlled centres as well as short-term measures that could be taken to improve the processing of migrants being disembarked in the EU, and giving a first outline of the possible way forward for the establishment of regional disembarkation arrangements with third countries.

Today, the State Secretary for Asylum Policy and Migration and his Tunisian counterpart signed an agreement which focuses on cooperation regarding migration and return.

The Belgian State Secretary for Asylum Policy and Migration carried out information missions in Albania and in Georgia, respectively in April and June 2018.
Hoofdthema: Asylum, Migration
Trefwoorden: Georgia, Albania

The EASO Annual Report on the Situation of Asylum in the European Union 2017 provides a comprehensive overview of developments at European level and at the level of national asylum systems. Based on a wide range of sources, the Report looks into main statistical trends and analyses changes in EU+ countries as regards their legislation, policies, practices, as well as national case law. 
Hoofdthema: Asylum
Trefwoorden: EASO, Common European Asylum System

Today, 10 families with a humanitarian visa arrived in Zaventem. They will apply for international protection once in Belgium. They will be hosted in Christian communities, in cooperation with Caritas, during the first year.
Hoofdthema: International Protection
Trefwoorden: humanitarian visa

Home Affairs Ministers met in Brussels and discussed inter alia the Dublin reform which gripped the political center stage of the broader asylum debate.
Hoofdthema: Asylum

On the 31st of May and 1st of June, the Bulgarian Contact Point of the EMN - in the framework of the Bulgarian Presidency of the Council - organized the EMN Annual Conference. The conference was dedicated to  challenges and success factors in managing migration flows. 

The Royal Decree of 23 April 2018 introduced changes with regards to extending or ending the stay of international students. It details – inter alia – in which cases an order to leave the territory can be issued to a student when he/she extends his/her studies in an excessive manner considering the results.
Hoofdthema: Study § Training
Trefwoorden: student

In this report, the Commission is reporting on progress made under the European Agenda on Migration and the Commission's roadmap from December 2017, and is setting out further key actions to be taken.
Hoofdthema: Migration
Trefwoorden: European Agenda on Migration

Eurostat published a statistical analysis on the number of unaccompanied minors who applied for international protection in 2017. the 31,400 applications represent an important decrease compared to previous years. 

Commissioner Avramopoulos has congratulated the EMN on it's approaching 10th anniversary in a speech. 
Hoofdthema: Cross-sectional
Trefwoorden: European Commission

In a judgment handed down today, the EU Court of Justice responded to a Dutch prejudicial question on family reunification of (unaccompanied minor) refugees. Following the reasoning of the Court, an unaccompanied minor who attains the age of majority during the asylum procedure retains its right to family reunification.

Following the release of its EASO Guidance on reception conditions: operational standards and indicators in December 2016, EASO has just issued the EASO guidance on contingency planning in the context of reception.  
Hoofdthema: Reception
Trefwoorden: EASO

Om meer aandacht te krijgen voor illegale tewerkstelling van derdelanders in België en de EU en voor de EMN studies hierover, maakte het Belgisch Contactpunt van het EMN een korte video.
Hoofdthema: Migratie
Trefwoorden: illegal employment

Two United Nations agencies are joining forces to combat migrant smuggling. They organized an event centering on a Joint Platform on Countering Migrant Smuggling.
Hoofdthema: Smuggling & Trafficking
Trefwoorden: migrant smuggling

Following the adoption of the Cooperation Agreement on the Single Permit Procedure on 2 February 2018, different legislative texts have been adopted at the federal and regional levels in March 2018 to approve this Cooperation Agreement.
Hoofdthema: Economic migration
Trefwoorden: single permit directive

De regering keurde op 24 maart 2018 een nieuw afbouwplan van opvangplaatsen voor verzoekers om internationale bescherming goed. Vandaag bestaat het opvangnetwerk uit 23.815 opvangplaatsen. Dat moet in 2019 terug gebracht zijn tot 16.629 opvangplaatsen, waarvan 10.044 collectieve plaatsen en 6.585 individuele opvangplaatsen. Met dit plan keert het netwerk terug naar het normale niveau van vóór de opvangcrisis.  
Hoofdthema: Opvang
Trefwoorden: reception place

In Februari, Fedasil, het federaal agentschap voor de opvang van asielzoekers heeft een samenwerkingsakkord met Enabel (www.enabel.be), het Belgisch ontwikkelingsagentschap (voorheen de Belgische technische Coöperatie) getekend.

Vrijwillige terugkeer naar de landen van herkomst neemt af. De oorzaak hiervoor is het lager aantal asielaanvragen van de afgelopen twee jaar.  
Hoofdthema: Terugkeer & Readmissie
Trefwoorden: voluntary return

Today Eurostat published the 2017 statistics on 'Asylum in the EU' on its website. It covers main trends and characteristics of first time applicants and first instance decisions on asylum applications for 2017 in the EU.  

The European Commission proposes to reform the EU's common visa policy. It also reports on - and calls for - further progress under the European Agenda on Migration. Finally it mobilises additional funding for Syrian refugees in Turkey.

Today, March 12, 2018 the Law of 21 November 2017 (adopted in the Parliament on Nov. 9) modifying the Immigration Act was published in the Belgian Official Gazette and will come into force on March 22, 2018.   
Hoofdthema: International Protection
Trefwoorden: asylum law

Today, the Belgian Minister of Home Affairs, the Belgian State Secretary for Asylum Policy and Migration met with the British Home Secretary in London to discuss the issue of transit migration.

From 21 until 23 February 2018, the Belgian State Secretary for Asylum Policy and Migration, Theo Francken, visited Guinea in order to discuss the questions of – inter alia - irregular migration and return.
Hoofdthema: Irregular Migration, Return & Readmission
Trefwoorden: Guinea