European Parliament: Approval of Amendments to the Asylum Procedure Regulation
On 10 February, the European Parliament adopted a number of amendments to the Asylum Procedure Regulation, notably to introduce an EU-wide list of “safe countries of origin” (SCOs) and to revise the use of the “safe third country” (STC) concept. The vote allows for...
ECRE Policy Paper: Budgeting for Asylum, Migration and Inclusion in Europe after 2027
ECRE has published a policy paper which analyses the European Commission’s (EC) proposal for the EU’s long-term budget (Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF)) the period 2028-2034. The paper is focused on the elements that will have the greatest impact on the funding...
Interview with Sodfa Daaji from the European Network of Migrant Women
How would you describe yourself and your organisation? We are a migrant women-led feminist, secular, nonpartisan platform that advocates for the rights, freedoms and dignity of migrant, refugee and ethnic minority women and girls in Europe. Our membership ranges from...
SPAIN: Government approves plan to regularise 500,000 undocumented people ― Government expresses opposition to offshore migration centres, urges support for its alternative approach to migration management ― UN Refugee Agency issues reminder about international protection needs in Spain
The government has approved a plan to regularise approximately 500,000 undocumented people. The government has expressed its opposition to the ongoing push by a number of EU member states for the establishment of migration centres outside the bloc. The United Nations...
European Asylum and Migration Management Strategy
On 29 January, the European Commission (EC) presented the European Asylum and Migration Management Strategy which sets out the political priorities that will guide the EU’s actions in these areas over the next five years. The preparation of the Strategy was a...
Cypriot Presidency of the Council of the EU
The Cypriot Presidency of the Council of the EU (January-June 2026) comes at a pivotal moment in the ongoing reform of the EU’s policies in the areas of migration and asylum, culminating with the entry into action of the Pact on Migration and Asylum on 12 June....
OP-ED: Collaborating with the Taliban regime in the name of “administrative” matters?
By Mehdi Kassou I was deeply surprised, while reading the press this weekend, to discover that Belgium had, through Freddy Roosemont, Director General of the Immigration Office, taken part – on behalf of a group of around twenty European Union member states – in...
BELGIUM: Government’s negotiations with Taliban spark criticism ― Financial incentives to encourage returns to Syria ― NGOs concerned about conditions in migration detention centres ― Last asylum hotels closed despite ongoing concerns about shortage of reception places
Belgium has participated in talks with the Taliban in Afghanistan regarding the return of individuals with criminal records or lacking identity documents. The government is planning to increase the reintegration support that it provides to Syrians who return to their...