The first transfers of people under the recent UK-France migration agreement have taken place. There have been a significant number of small boat crossings of the Channel in recent weeks as well as several deaths. A large group of lawyers and NGOs have said that they are being “pressured into silence” by far-right and anti-migrant […]| European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE)
An anti-migration protest has resulted in injuries to police officers and journalists, and an estimated € 90,000 of damage. The Netherlands has taken a step closer to establishing a “transit centre” for unsuccessful asylum applicants in Uganda. The caretaker government is planning to increase the residency requirement for Dutch citizenship to 10 years. The Immigration […]| European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE)
ECRE and the International Rescue Committee (IRC) are co-organising a panel discussion on the planned mandatory solidarity mechanism under the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum. Title: Realising Solidarity under the Pact: From Theory to Practice Date: Monday 27 October 2025 Time: 14.00-17.30 Venue: Press Club Brussels Europe, Rue Froissart / Froissartstraat 95, 1040 Brussels […]| European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE)
There have been 1,288 registered deaths so far this year in the Mediterranean, including in a number of recent tragedies. A journalist has recorded footage of Libyan government-backed militiamen actively participating in people smuggling in the Mediterranean. The head of the Spanish Navy has issued a clear reminder about seafarers’ duties to people in distress. […]| European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE)
ECRE has joined more than 250 civil society organisations in calling on UN member states to uphold, preserve and strengthen international refugee, human rights and humanitarian treaties, and to reject efforts to undo or undermine legal norms. The organisations have signed an open letter in which they call on UN member states to: Sign and/or deposit […]| European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE)
Interview with Minos Mouzourakis – Greek attorney-at-law registered with the Athens Bar Association and Legal & Advocacy Officer at ECRE member organisation Refugee Support Aegean) Dear Minos, you and your colleagues at Refugee Support Aegean (RSA) have successfully appealed to the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). Τhe Court repeatedly protected asylum seekers in Greece […]| European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE)
By Thomas Willekens Since 4 August 2025, families with small children who have applied for international protection are sleeping rough in Brussels. This is not due to a lack of places in the reception system but the direct consequence of a new federal policy. According to Minister for Asylum and Migration Anneleen Van Bossuyt, too […]| European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE)
The prime ministers of Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands have come together to celebrate the 65th anniversary of the establishment of the Benelux Union. The former president of the Belgian Constitutional Court has urged European governments to nominate more conservative judges and update asylum rules. The Belgian Minister of Asylum and Migration has ordered the agency […]| European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE)
The EU will host its first ever summit with Egypt on 22 October in Brussels. The Norwegian government has intervened in the ongoing investigation into the recent attack on an NGO search and rescue (SAR) ship. A SAR NGO has accused Libyan militiamen of throwing people into the sea near Tripoli. The United Nations Special […]| European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE)
The Asylum Information Database (AIDA) is managed by ECRE and contains detailed information on asylum procedures, reception conditions, the detention of asylum applicants and the content of international protection in 25 countries. It is relied upon by a wide range of actors, including both European and national policy-makers, legal practitioners and courts.| European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE)
The updated AIDA Country Report on Slovenia provides a detailed overview on legislative and practice-related developments in asylum procedures, reception conditions, detention of asylum applicants and content of international protection in 2024. It is accompanied by an annex which provides an overview of temporary protection.| ecre.org
The updated AIDA Country Report on Türkiye provides a detailed overview on legislative and practice-related developments in asylum procedures, reception conditions, detention of asylum applicants and content of international protection in 2024. It also includes a section on temporary protection.| ecre.org
The updated AIDA Country Report on Italy provides a detailed overview on legislative and practice-related developments in asylum procedures, reception conditions, detention of asylum applicants and content of international protection in 2024. It is accompanied by an annex which provides an overview of temporary protection.| ecre.org
ECRE has published a policy note which explores how EU asylum and anti-trafficking frameworks can better protect refugee women and girls who are at risk of or have survived human trafficking. Drawing on EU and international legal standards – as well as national-level assessments – ECRE provides a gender-sensitive analysis of the revised EU Anti-Trafficking Directive (ATD) and its intersection with the proposed Facilitators Directive.| ecre.org
ECRE is an alliance of 128 NGOs based in 40 European countries. ECRE’s mission is to protect and advance the rights of refugees, people seeking asylum and other forcibly displaced people in Europe and in Europe’s external policies. ECRE’s work covers three main activities:| ecre.org
The Czech EU Presidency enters its last month having been active and effective on asylum and migration matters. That is both for good and for ill – progress on solidarity is important and activity on the Ukraine response has helped maintain the positive EU approach. The effectiveness on the Instrumentalisation Regulation, we could have done without, however.| ecre.org
