EU-Turkey deal: praised by EU leaders, condemned by NGOs

28th April 2016 | News

28 April 2016 On Saturday 23 April, European Council President Donald Tusk, European Commission Vice President Frans Timmermans and German Chancellor Angela Merkel met with Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu during an official visit to the country. The visit was a...

French authorities under court order to register asylum applications

28th April 2016 | News

28 April 2016 The Administrative Tribunal of Paris has delivered several judgments ordering prefectural authorities to complete the registration of asylum applications by persons facing excessive delays in accessing the procedure. The Administrative Tribunal ruled...

Australia’s detention of asylum seekers on Manus Island is illegal, rules Papua New Guinea’s highest court

28th April 2016 | News

28 April 2016 Papua New Guinea’s Supreme Court has ruled that the detention of asylum seekers by Australia on Manus Island is in breach of the country’s constitution. Australia’s policies of paying Papua New Guinea to hold asylum seekers and refugees who try to reach...

Vacancy: ECRE is recruiting a Communications and Events Assistant

28th April 2016 | Vacancies

28 April 2016 ECRE is offering an 11-month Communications and Events internship, starting preferably as soon as possible. The assistant will support the Media & Communications Team in a wide range of tasks, including writing articles for the ECRE Weekly Bulletin...

European Commission satisfied with implementation of EU-Turkey deal, despite serious human rights concerns

22nd April 2016 | News

22 April 2016 Earlier this week, the European Commission published its first report on the progress on the implementation of the EU-Turkey deal. The report indicated that “the sharp decrease in the number of irregular migrants and asylum seekers crossing from Turkey...

Closure of Balkans route leaves thousands stranded in Greece without access to shelter or information

22nd April 2016 | News

22 April 2016 In a report released on Monday 18 April, Amnesty International documented the conditions faced by at least 46,000 people trapped in Greece after the closure of the Balkan route. Through interviews with refugees and migrants carried out in several camps...

Applications open for Summer School on Forced Migration and Asylum

22nd April 2016 | News

22 April 2016 Lai-Momo and Africa e Mediterraneo are inviting interested participants to send their applications for the Summer School on Forced Migration and Asylum. The Summer School aims at a deep analysis of a number of issues associated with the current forced...

UK is falling short of its moral responsibility to provide safe routes for people seeking refuge

22nd April 2016 | News

22 April 2016 A number of NGOs in the UK, including ECRE members, the British Refugee Council, the Scottish Refugee Council and Refugee Action, have published a joint briefing criticising the UK and European governments’ policies towards those seeking international...

Deaths at sea: EU is guilty of killing by omission, report argues

22nd April 2016 | News

22 April 2016 A new report released by Forensic Oceanography – a team that specialises in the use of forensic techniques and cartography to reconstruct cases of deaths at sea – accuses EU policy makers and agencies of knowingly reducing Search and Rescue (SAR)...

UK detention update: “end” of routine detention of pregnant women in Immigration Bill

22nd April 2016 | News

22 April 2016 The UK government has announced that it will end ‘the routine detention of pregnant women’ in immigration centres. It has agreed to propose an amendment to the Immigration Bill, which is currently being considered by Parliament, to introduce a time limit...