Officials from the State Migration Service of Azerbaijan will visit Brussels next week to learn about Belgian and EU best practices on reception, detention and alternatives to detention of irregular third-country nationals.

To the information of EU Neighbourhood Info Centre, the study visit is organized by the Technical Assistance and Information Exchange Instrument of the European Commission (TAIEX) and is in line with the EU-Azerbaijan Action Plan, which sets combatting irregular migration among the strategic objectives of cooperation.

During the three–day visit, the Azerbaijani officials will learn about Belgian legislation and policy on irregular migration, visit a closed detention centre and a reception facility for families who need to return to their country of origin, discuss with their Belgian counterparts the issue of return and voluntary return of irregular migrants. The trip also aims provide information towards amendment of the current Migration Code of Azerbaijan.

İn addition, TAIEX is the Technical Assistance and Information Exchange instrument of the European Commission. It is a demand-driven tool that supports partner countries with the approximation of national laws, regulations and quality standards to those of EU Member States in the framework of Cooperation or Association agreements signed with the EU. TAIEX Assistance is given through expert missions, workshops or seminars and study visits. In the Eastern Neighbourhood, TAIEX works with Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine. In 2016, TAIEX celebrates its 10 years of engagement with the EU Neighbourhood countries.