Expert Roundtable: A new model promoting realistic solutions from the outset of emergency needed to battle forced displacement

14th January 2015 | News

The Expert Roundtable on EU policies supporting development and lasting solutions for displaced populations, organised jointly by ECRE, UNHCR and the European Commission in Brussels on 13 October 2014, was the final and concluding event to the two year long DOMAID...

New tactic of smuggling refugees on cargo ships from Turkey & abandoning them at sea endangers lives

9th January 2015 | News

9 January 2015 On 31 December 2014, the Italian authorities rescued 736 Syrian refugees, including 60 children, who were travelling on the Moldovan-flagged cargo ship Blue Sky M. The ship had sailed from Turkey and was, according to media reports, abandoned by the...

UK Court of Appeal: Detention pending an asylum appeal in Detained Fast Track system unlawful

9th January 2015 | News

9 January 2015 In a new ruling on the UK’s Detained Fast Track system, the UK Court of Appeal has found that the Secretary of State’s policy of detaining asylum seekers who are not at risk of absconding whilst their appeals are pending is unlawful. In addition, the...

CJEU: Returns Directive bans removal of seriously ill people to places where treatment is not provided

9th January 2015 | News

9 January 2015 Two judgments relating to international protection for ill persons confirm that these cases cannot fall under EU asylum law, but their return can be prevented by the Returns Directive. In the first case, which involves a Mauritian national, M’Bodj, who...

Lebanon further restricts Syrian refugees’ access to its territory

9th January 2015 | News

9 January 2015 New restrictions to Syrian nationals’ access to Lebanon took effect on 5 January, requiring Syrians to obtain a visa in order to enter the country. Syrians can apply for visas under the categories of tourism, work and business visits, student, medical...

UNHCR: Over five million people flee their homes in first half of 2014

9th January 2015 | News

9 January 2015 An estimated 5.5 million people became newly displaced during the first six months of 2014, according to a new report by UNHCR. 1.4 million of them fled across international borders. UNHCR calculates that there are now 46.3 million persons globally...

ECRE publishes recommendations on how to transpose the EU’s recast Asylum Procedures Directive

9th January 2015 | News

9 January 2015 ECRE has published an Information Note on the EU’s recast Asylum Procedures Directive providing a detailed analysis of the key provisions in the Directive and recommendations on how to transpose and implement those provisions. ECRE strongly encourages...

Returns Directive bans removal of seriously ill people to places where treatment is not provided

8th January 2015 | News

9 January 2015 Two judgments relating to international protection for ill persons confirm that these cases cannot fall under EU asylum law, but their return can be prevented by the Returns Directive. In the first case, which involves a Mauritian national, M’Bodj, who...

European States offer 4,000 extra places for refugees fleeing Syria at Resettlement Conference

12th December 2014 | News

12 December 2014 At a ministerial-level meeting on resettlement and other forms of admission for Syrian refugees this week, European States have offered an additional 4,000 places to refugees who have fled war-torn Syria. Norway and Sweden offered the most places with...

CPT criticizes Cyprus for detaining unaccompanied asylum seeking children

12th December 2014 | News

12 December 2014 Investigating detention conditions in Cyprus, the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) delegation has found that unaccompanied children are being detained in Cyprus as a punitive measure to force them to “voluntarily” return to their...