20 May 2016
The Asylum Information Database (AIDA) network met in Brussels on 19 May, bringing together members of the ECRE Secretariat and 15 country experts to discuss the strengthening and future development of the database. The coordination meeting covered data collection challenges and ways to work more effectively with national authorities to obtain information in different countries, as well as to address discrepancies in statistical data provided by Eurostat and other actors.
Experts also discussed the expansion of AIDA to cover content of international protection in Europe with key themes including access to employment and education, residence permits, family reunification, social assistance and naturalisation. The issue of residence permits and review of status will be addressed in an AIDA legal briefing to be published in June 2016.
Member organisations represented at the meeting included Asylkoordination Österreich, Informationsverbund Asyl und Migration, ACCEM, Forum Réfugiés-Cosi, Greek Council for Refugees, Hungarian Helsinki Committee, Irish Refugee Council, ASGI, Aditus Foundation, Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights, FARR, British Refugee Council, Swiss Refugee Council and Refugee Rights Turkey. The meeting was organised with support from Microsoft Brussels.
This article appeared in the ECRE Weekly Bulletin of 20 May 2016. You can subscribe to the Weekly Bulletin here.