Belgium restricts access to protection and leaves hundreds of asylum seekers without shelter

4th December 2015 | News

4 December 2015 In the past week, many asylum seekers in Belgium were prevented access to asylum procedures, including unaccompanied children and families. According to NGOs, certain measures have specifically targeted Afghan asylum seekers. In addition, hundreds of...

Indefinite conscription in Eritrea has created a generation of refugees

4th December 2015 | News

4 December 2015 A report from Amnesty International has investigated the duration of conscription into national service in Eritrea, finding that it continues to be extended indefinitely, with the result that conscripts continue to be deployed in civilian roles as well...

Irish Refugee Council: Practical guide on providing early legal advice to people in the asylum process

4th December 2015 | News

4 December 2015 ECRE member, the Irish Refugee Council (IRC), has launched a manual on providing early legal advice (ELA) to persons seeking international protection. With ELA helping people in the asylum procedure to be identified and recognised at the earliest...

The EU-Turkey deal poses serious threats to refugees’ and migrants’ human rights

4th December 2015 | News

4 December 2015 The 29 November meeting between EU Heads of State and the Turkish Prime Minister finalised the agreement between the EU and Turkey for the control of migratory flows. On the basis of the Joint Action Plan, the EU is offering 3 billion euros under the...

European Parliament calls for a complaints mechanism to improve Frontex’s human rights protection

3rd December 2015 | News

3 December 2015 On 2 December, the European Parliament adopted a resolution recommending the EU’s border agency Frontex to set up a mechanism allowing migrants and asylum seekers to make complaints about potential infringements of their fundamental rights during...

Detention still a widespread practice in the UK, finds updated AIDA report

3rd December 2015 | News

3 December 2015 The updated AIDA report on the United Kingdom elaborates upon Detention Action’s litigation which saw the suspension of the Detained Fast Track (DFT) procedure for appeals on grounds that the system was structurally unfair and unjust. Since the...

AIDA update: Poland introduces a State legal aid system

3rd December 2015 | News

3 December 2015 The updated AIDA report on Poland details how the recast Reception Conditions and Asylum Procedures Directive were transposed into national law. The major change in this regard is constituted by the introduction of a State legal aid system. From...

AIDA update Hungary: new asylum legislation contravenes EU rules

3rd December 2015 | News

3 December 2015 The updated AIDA report on Hungary documents how the country’s asylum system was overhauled over the summer of 2015 through a series of legislative reforms. Hungary adopted a list of ‘safe countries of origin’ and ‘safe third countries’, designating...

ECRE fears human rights being left behind in the rush to an EU Turkey deal

1st December 2015 | News

Istanbul, 1 December 2015. On the day of the EU-Turkey summit in Brussels, ECRE went on a field visit to Istanbul to meet with Turkish civil society and get a better understanding of the challenges on the ground and the impact on refugee protection. ECRE is deeply...

AIDA update Greece: asylum system suffers from persisting deficiencies in procedures and reception conditions

27th November 2015 | News

27 November 2015 The updated AIDA report on Greece documents persisting deficiencies in the asylum procedure and reception conditions. Greece, which has seen as many as 715,000 persons arrive on its territory since the beginning of 2015, still suffers from a severe...