Publication date: 12 March 2026
This study examines skills matching for migrants in Belgium as part of a broader European-level analysis conducted within the framework of the EMN. It focuses on how policies and initiatives align migrants’ qualifications and skills with labour market needs. The analysis considers both vertical and horizontal mismatches, where skills or fields of study do not correspond to job requirements. It identifies key challenges, as well as lessons learned and good practices, in supporting sustainable labour market integration through improved skills matching.
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Main theme: Integration
Publication Type: Thematic Studies
Keywords: labour market integration, third country national, migrants' skills, matching, mismatch, qualification, language requirement, skills recognition, gender
Publication date: 02 December 2025
This joint EMN-OECD study provides a comprehensive overview of labour migration laws, policies, initiatives, and practices targeting third-country nationals in EMN Member Countries and Serbia between January 2021 and June 2024. It examines how labour migration is used to address current and future workforce shortages, covering key countries of origin and crucial labour sectors. The study highlights the challenges faced and the practices considered by countries with regard to labour migration.
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Main theme: Economic migration
Publication Type: Thematic Studies
Keywords: labour migration, labour shortages, foreign workers, talent attraction, talent partnership
Publication date: 06 October 2025
This study provides an overview of legal and policy developments related to the implementation of the Family Reunification Directive since 2017. It examines the current state of national legislation, policies, and practices following two decades of the Directive’s application, incorporating relevant case law and highlighting both challenges and best practices. It also presents data on the scale and evolution of family reunification between 2017 and 2023 (and 2024 where available), drawing on both Eurostat and national sources.
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Main theme: Family reunification
Publication Type: Thematic Studies
Keywords: Family Reunification Directive, application for family reunification, requirement, eligibility, sponsor, family member, digitalisation, access to rights
Publication date: 16 July 2025
This EMN study examines how 25 countries address the international dimension of human trafficking, encompassing prevention, law enforcement, victim support, and international partnerships. It presents national approaches, good practices and persistent challenges, both within EMN countries and in cooperation with third countries. Readers will find examples of institutional cooperation, capacity-building efforts, and initiatives targeting specific regions or groups. The study also highlights how recent EU policy developments are shaping national anti-trafficking strategies.
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Main theme: Smuggling & Trafficking
Publication Type: Thematic Studies
Keywords: trafficking victim, non-EU national, anti-trafficking strategy, international dimension
Publication date: 19 February 2025
This European Migration Network (EMN) study documents the illegal employment of third-country nationals in EMN Member Countries between 2017-2022. It includes an up-to-date analysis of key legislative and policy frameworks and practices to prevent, identify and tackle the illegal employment of third-country nationals, including beneficiaries of temporary protection. It also provides examples of challenges and good practices.
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Main theme: Economic migration
Publication Type: Thematic Studies
Keywords: illegal employment, third country national, migrant worker, sanction, labour inspection
Publication date: 26 November 2024
The European Migration Network (EMN) study looks at whether EMN Member Countries implemented any changes in the application of the Temporary Protection Directive (TPD) in 2023 (as compared to 2022) and also aims to identify continued challenges, as well as good practices.
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Main theme: Temporary protection
Publication Type: Thematic Studies
Keywords: Temporary Protection Directive, beneficiary of temporary protection, residence permit, access to rights, vulnerability
Publication date: 05 October 2023
This study offers a thorough and current examination of the legislation, policies and practices related to the integration of international protection applicants into the job market in EMN Member Countries. It offers an overview of the various stakeholders responsible for implementing labour market accessibility and highlights both the challenges encountered and examples of good practices.
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Main theme: Integration
Publication Type: Thematic Studies
Keywords: labour market integration, labour shortages, waiting period, labour market access, discrimination
Publication date: 12 September 2022
To what extent do Member States consider the distinct situation of migrant women in their integration policies and measures? This study focuses on the main areas covered by the EU Action plan on Integration and Inclusion 2021-2027 that support the integration of migrant women for example in education and training, employment and skills, health and housing as these are considered by the Action Plan the base for societal integration.
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Publication date: 24 August 2022
In the context of migration, detention is permitted and regulated by a strict European legislative framework. Recognising the severity of the measure against the right to liberty and in order to enhance the safeguards for vulnerable persons, Member States rely increasingly on alternatives to detention. Alternatives to detention are often considered to be less resource-intensive, less intrusive for the individual, and more effective at reducing pressure on national detention systems, but their implementation comes with a series of challenges.
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Main theme: Return & Readmission
Publication Type: Thematic Studies
Keywords: alternatives to detention
Publication date: 06 May 2022
Trafficking in human beings is a crime against the victim’s fundamental rights. It can take several forms, such as sexual exploitation, forced labour or services, slavery and servitude-related practices, as well as the removal of organs. This practice is prohibited under numerous EU and international instruments. Yet, persistent demand for sexual services and for low-wage workers employed in manual jobs continues to provide opportunities for traffickers to exploit human beings.
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Main theme: Smuggling & Trafficking
Publication Type: Thematic Studies
Keywords: victims of human trafficking
Publication date: 07 July 2021
The management of data has become increasingly important over the past years, not in the least for the public institutions that are responsible for the applications for international protection. Today, the increased influx of applicants for international protection and the Covid-19 pandemic have increased the need for a more efficient system to collect, store, treat and share data. EMN analysed the state of play and the future developments in the field of data management in the asylum procedure between 2014 and 2020, thereby also taking into account the legal framework that surrounds the field of data management. Additionally, EMN Belgium published a standalone study that highlights the management of data in the Belgian asylum procedure.
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Publication date: 25 June 2021
What kind of data is collected by EU Member States and Norway and how is the data managed in the different phases of the asylum procedure? This new EMN Study provides comparable information and examples from 25 countries on different aspects of data management, including data cross-checking against national and international databases, data quality accuracy, and data protection issues. It also maps challenges encountered, and actions taken to respond to them. The study contributes to capacity-building of experts working in the field of asylum and generates a better understanding of the policies and process in place across Europe.
The Belgian standalone study will be published in the week of 28 June 2021.
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Publication date: 20 January 2021
For many EU countries, seasonal workers from third countries are crucial to fill temporary, cyclical labour market needs. Since the adoption of the Seasonal Workers Directive in 2016, this specific category of workers can benefit from EU-harmonised admission policies and rights concerning their entry and stay. This study provides a comparative overview of recent trends in seasonal workers coming to the EU and Belgium, and the strategies and practices related to seasonal workers from third countries.
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Main theme: Economic migration
Publication Type: Thematic Studies
Keywords: seasonal workers directive, seasonal labour
Publication date: 08 July 2020
Integration through acquisition of citizenship has become an important topic in many EU Member States in recent years, as the number of new migrants arriving in the EU has increased in recent years. The EMN study found that citizenship is seen by Member States as either the culmination of the integration process or as facilitating the integration process. However, in most Member States, third-country nationals are not actively encouraged to apply for citizenship.
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Main theme: Citizenship & Nationality
Publication Type: Thematic Studies
Publication date: 26 May 2020
These studies explore the types of national protection statuses existing in Belgium and the EU, as well as their key characteristics in terms of procedures and rights.
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Main theme: Regularization, Vulnerable groups
Publication Type: Thematic Studies
Keywords: protection status
Publication date: 18 December 2019
Over half of the EU Member States consider that attracting and retaining innovative entrepreneurs and start-ups from countries outside the EU will promote a vibrant entrepreneurial culture. What are the main pull factors and requirements for foreign start-up founders and employees? A new study from the European Migration Network reveals good practices and challenges from Belgium and 24 EU Member States.
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Main theme: Economic migration
Publication Type: Thematic Studies
Keywords: Start-Ups, Innovative Entrepreneurs
Publication date: 05 November 2019
This study aims to analyse the possible consequences on international protection status for individuals who travel to or contact the authorities in their country of origin.
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Main theme: International Protection
Publication Type: Thematic Studies
Keywords: end of protection status
Publication date: 23 August 2019
Attracting students from third countries and facilitating their entry into the national labour market is a priority to the EU. The EMN has published a study on 25 EU countries’ efforts to provide opportunities for international students.
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Publication date: 04 July 2019
EMN Belgium publishes a study on the socio-economic integration of people granted international protection in Belgium between 2001 and 2014. This report links administrative longitudinal data from the National Register and the Data Warehouse Labour Market and Social Protection.
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Main theme: International Protection
Publication Type: Thematic Studies
Keywords: socio-economic integration
Publication date: 29 March 2019
This EMN study aims to identify challenges, best practices and positive experiences in different Member States and Norway on the impact of visa liberalisation. The study covers Western Balkan and Eastern Partnership countries which have successfully concluded visa liberalisation dialogues according to the relevant action plans and roadmaps.
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Main theme: Data & Statistics, Borders & Visa
Publication Type: Thematic Studies
Keywords: visa liberalisation, visa policy
Publication date: 20 February 2019
This EMN study examines the measures in place in the Member States and Norway to facilitate the integration of third-country nationals on the labour market. The study also identifies good practices from public and private actors.
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Main theme: Integration
Publication Type: Thematic Studies
Keywords: labour market, labour market integration
Publication date: 10 September 2018
This EMN study provides an overview of the changes to national strategies, approaches and measures in response to the unprecedented migratory movements to EU Member States and Norway between 2014 and 2016.
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Publication date: 09 August 2018
This EMN study focuses on the approaches to Unaccompanied Minors following status determination in the EU plus Norway. The study covers the period 2014-2017, thereby following up on previous EMN research on unaccompanied minors.
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Publication date: 08 August 2018
This EMN study aims at analysing the impact of EU rules on return policies and practices of Member States (including Belgium), and hence on the effectiveness of return decisions issued across the EU.
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Main theme: Irregular Migration, Return & Readmission
Publication Type: Thematic Studies
Keywords: return directive
Publication date: 15 January 2018
The Belgian Contact Point of the European Migration Network has published a report on challenges and practices for establishing identity in the migration process. The report served as the Belgian contribution to an EU Synthesis report on the topic, which compares national policies, legislation and practices on the subject in 25 EU Member States and Norway.