International Organization for Migration - Brussels Country Office

The First agreement signed between the Intergovernmental Committee for European Migration, now the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and the Government of Belgium dates from 1973. It was revised in 1996 due to the change in the Organization’s name.

In Belgium, IOM is represented by the Country Office (CO) for Belgium and Luxembourg, , which also covers the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.

The Country Office develops and implements several programmes and projects, working closely with institutions such as the Belgian Ministry for Social Integration, Fedasil, the Belgian Immigration Office, the Belgian Development Cooperation, the European Commission, the Luxemburgish Ministry of Family and Integration amongst other major donors and/or key partners.

In Luxembourg, IOM’s main support relates to Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration (AVRR), providing migrants residing in Luxembourg with tailor-made assistance in their return back home.

In terms of major activities implemented in Belgium, the Return and Emigration of Asylum Seekers ex Belgium (REAB) programme, funded by the Government of Belgium since 1984, and the Migration for Development in Africa (MIDA) programme funded by the Belgian Development Cooperation since 2001 should be highlighted.