Fundamental Rights Agency: Victims and witnesses’ lack of trust in police obstructs reporting of racist violence

10th January 2014 | News

10 January 2014 The European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) has published a new report which examines the effectiveness of EU Member States’ responses to counter racism, discrimination, intolerance and extremism, and identifies the barriers which may be...

UNHCR: Forcible returns to Southern Mali may take place, but must remain suspended to Northern Mali

10th January 2014 | News

10 January 2014 In an Update to its position on returns to Mali, UNHCR considers that the situation in southern Mali has normalised sufficiently for UNHCR to withdraw their call for suspension of forcible returns to this part of the country for  persons who had their...

ECtHR rules that Sudanese non-high-profile political opponent would risk inhuman or degrading treatment if returned from Switzerland

10th January 2014 | News

10 January 2014 The European Court of Human Rights has ruled that the deportation from Switzerland of a political opponent of the Sudanese government to Sudan would expose him to a risk of ill-treatment contrary to Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights...

Almost one million persons, mostly children, internally displaced in Central African Republic

10th January 2014 | News

10 January 2014 UNHCR announced on 3 January 2014 that due to violence in Central African Republic (CAR) more than 935,000 persons, 60% of whom are children, have been forced to seek safety in another part of their country. According to UNHCR, at the close of 2013,...

New Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund for 2014-2020 backed by European Parliament Civil Liberties committee

10th January 2014 | News

10 January 2014 The Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF), just backed by the European Parliament’s Civil Liberties committee, has a total budget of € 3.1 billion for 2014-2020. The bulk of the funds, €2.7 billion, are destined for national level programmes,...

Albania, Georgia and Kosovo added to the French list of “safe countries of origin”

10th January 2014 | News

10 January 2014 On 16 December 2013, France’s Office for the Protection of Refugees and Stateless Persons (OFPRA) added Albania, Kosovo, and Georgia to the list of safe countries of origin. Applications submitted by asylum seekers from countries of origin included on...

EASO and UNHCR sign working agreement to strengthen cooperation

23rd December 2013 | News

The European Asylum Support Office (EASO) and the office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) signed last week a working agreement which aims to establish a stronger cooperation between both organisations. The organisations have agreed to cooperate on...

ECRE Paper published on Reception Conditions Directive and its recast in light of Articles 41 and 47 of the Charter

23rd December 2013 | News

ECRE has published a paper under the FRAME project to examine the Reception Conditions Directive and its recast in light of Articles 41 and 47 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. One of the main aims of the FRAME project is to promote the use...

Know Reset project maps diverging legal frameworks and capacities for resettlement across Europe

23rd December 2013 | News

The Know Reset project, carried out in partnership by European University Institute (EUI) and ECRE, has come to an end this week with the publication of its Final Report. As a result of the project, 27 country profiles, an online database providing relevant legal and...

Israel’s draconian Prevention of Infiltration Act amended to reduce length of detention but now allows for indefinite detention in “open” facilities

23rd December 2013 | News

Following the ruling by the Israeli Supreme Court which deemed that previous amendments to the controversial Prevention of Infiltration Act allowing the detention of asylum seekers for up to three years without charge was unconstitutional and a violation of Article 5...