17 July 2015
On 10 September 2015, ECRE, together with its partners, will launch the third Annual Report of the Asylum Information Database (AIDA). During the event, at the Residence Palace in Brussels European quarter, the Forum Réfugiés-Cosi, the Hungarian Helsinki Committee, the Greek Council for Refugees and the Swiss Refugee Council will all give their perspectives of the Common European Asylum System (CEAS).
With restricted access to the EU territory for people fleeing war and persecution, and asylum seekers ending up destitute or detained in some European countries, the EU remains an elusive ‘safe haven’ for refugees. The report illustrates the persistent contradiction between the theory of a Common European Asylum System, which advocates that people fleeing similar situations are treated alike, and the harsh realities facing asylum seekers in 15 EU Member States of the European Union, being: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Germany, France, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Sweden and the United Kingdom.
The Asylum Information Database (AIDA) is a project of the European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE), in partnership with Forum Refugiés-Cosi, the Hungarian Helsinki Committee and the Irish Refugee Council.
The overall goal of the project is to contribute to the improvement of asylum policies and practices in Europe and the situation of asylum seekers by providing all relevant actors with appropriate tools and information to support their advocacy and litigation efforts, both at the national and European level.
The project aims to achieve the above by providing independent and up-to date information to the media, researchers, advocates, legal practitioners and the public on asylum practices in EU Member States, in particular with regard to asylum procedures, reception conditions and detention.
It also aims to provide advocacy tools to civil society, at the EU and national level with regard to as the transposition of those EU asylum directives adopted as part of the second phase of harmonisation of EU asylum policy and the establishment of a Common European Asylum System.
Finally, the project intends to raise public awareness on the situation of asylum seekers, with a view to nurturing a more receptive political environment on the issue of asylum and migration.
For registration and enquiries, contact Minos Mouzourakis, AIDA Coordinator
Email: mmouzourakis@ecre.org | Tel: +32 2 212 08 13
This article originally appeared in the ECRE Weekly Bulletin of 17 July 2015. You can subscribe to the Weekly Bulletin here.