Migration

What are the Centre’s duties insofar as migration is concerned?

Migration has always marked human history while it regularly raises questions about the models that exist in our societies. In addition to fighting against discrimination, the Centre for Equal Opportunities and the Opposition to Racism was given a mandate in 2003 to study migration. This mission has two parts: “to inform the public authorities about the nature and scale of migration flows” and “to ensure the basic rights of foreigners”.

An annual report with the title “Migration” provides an overview of the Centre’s observations and recommendations on these issues.
 

Migration movements

On the one hand, the Centre examines and follows the evolution of migration movements, focusing on their nature and dimensions. The Centre makes available to public authorities, civil society and society at large information that is as accurate as possible on the migration movements (entries/exits) and the residence of foreigners.
This mission consists mainly in the publication of an annual demographics report and studies of specific issues.
Since 2008, the Centre has been the contact point in Belgium for the European Network on Migrations, which is an instrument that allows Member States and European institutions to collect objective, reliable and up to date information.
 

Fundamental rights

Furthermore, the Centre works to ensure that the basic rights of foreigners are respected, through field observations (particularly within closed centres) and by carefully following the complex legislation that regulates this issue. The Centre also provides first line support to persons who wish to receive information on their fundamental rights or residency status.
Through an ongoing dialogue with the authorities (local, regional and federal) and other competent public services, the Centre works to ensure that these rights are respected within all areas affecting the status of foreigners: international protection, territorial access, residency, the right to live within a family, access to work and to a career, access to nationality, issues relating to detention and deportation, etc. The Centre provides observations and recommendations to public authorities and civil society on these issues in the clearest, most dynamic way possible.