ecre annual report 2012

ANNUAL

2012REPORT

2012

The European Council on Refugees amp Exiles (ECRE) is a pan-European Alliance of refugee-assisting non-governmental organisations ECRE is concerned with the needs of all individuals who seek refuge and protection within Europe

It aims to promote the protection and integration of refugees in Europe based on the values of human dignity human rights and an ethic of solidarity

ECRE seeks to achieve this aim by

1 Advocating a fair and humane European asylum policy and by promoting the development of a comprehensive and coherent response by the international community to refugee movements

2 Strengthening networking between refugee-assisting non-governmental organisations in Europe

3 Developing the institutional capacity of refugee-assisting non-governmental organisations in Europe

ECRE draws on the energy ideas and commitment of an active membership of refugee-assisting non-governmental organisations and a strong secretariat It also strives to involve wider civil society the political community and refugee communities in its work It respects the cultural values of different parts of Europe

It aims to ensure that its ideas and positions are of high quality legally accurate and representative of a wide range of knowledge experience and best practice throughout Europe

Its working methods are guided by democratic values and the principle of seeking to mobilise the widest possible active involvement of its member agencies through working groups advisory groups regional fora and Europe-wide networks It encourages wherever appropriate its member agencies to take the lead on a particular project

Mission Statement

Summary

Message from the Chair 4

Message from the Secretary General 5

Refugees in Greece How Much Further 6

Access to Protection 8

ELENA Network 10

Protection in Third Countries 12

Resettlement 14

Detention 16

New Members 17

Our Members in 2012 18

Finances 20

Staff 19

Partners 22

Projects 21

4

Message from the Chair

Dear Readers

It was with great pleasure that we welcomed Michael Die-dring as ECRErsquos new Secretary General in 2012 Michaelrsquos strong commitment and over 20 yearsrsquo professional experi-ence focussed on the rule of law and international develop-ment equip him to lead ECRE in our endeavour to promote the protection and integration of refugees in Europe I would also like to take this opportunity to warmly thank Allan Leas for his exceptional leadership of ECRE during the interim period Allan truly has ECRE in his heart and the Board Secretariat and Members feel indebted to his perseverance and dedication

In 2012 ECRE also bade farewell to Ignacio Diacuteaz de Aguilar who has been a long-standing Member of the ECRE Board Ignacio has done much to assist ECRErsquos work in the larger Mediterranean region We would like to thank him deeply for having devoted his time and energy to ECRE and look for-ward to continuing to work with Ignacio in the future in other capacities We are very pleased to welcome Anna Terroacuten to the ECRE Board Anna has a long history of working in European asylum and migration matters as a former MEP and Spainrsquos Secretary of Immigration and Emigration We look forward to working together with Anna and the mem-bers of ECRErsquos Board to guide ECRErsquos work in defending the rights of those seeking international protection

This year we were delighted to welcome two new Maltese members to the Alliance aditus foundation and JRS Malta It is important for ECRE to extend its network to this country whose systematic use of migrant detention poor reception condi-tions and lack of integration prospects are of concern to the NGOs on the ground and their partners across Europe

I would like to take this opportunity to extend warm thanks to all our collaborators over 2012

Yours sincerely

Andreas KammChair of the ECRE BoardSecretary General of the Danish Refugee Council

5

Message from the Secretary General

Dear Readers

In autumn 2012 I took over the reins of ECRE and embarked upon a mission to lead this long-lasting Alliance in its endeav-our to protect the rights of asylum seekers and refugees in Europe I am deeply grateful to Allan Leas for ensuring that the transition period was smooth and for imparting upon me what ECRE means to its members and the people we serve

ECRE is a rich diverse and robust Alliance and that is its great-est strength Advocating for fair and humane asylum policies and their implementation requires a multi-faceted pan-Euro-pean approach In the coming years I intend to capitalise on the strengths of the Alliance to denounce human rights viola-tions and propose and promote fair and efficient durable solu-tions We will use a variety of means to achieve this mission rigorous research policy and legal advocacy awareness-rais-ing and sharing knowledge and expertise

Throughout 2012 we witnessed Statesrsquo failure to properly as-sure protection for all those who need and deserve it The per-sisting asylum crisis in Greece coupled with mounting racism continues to create a desperate situation for asylum seekers who see no option but to move on to try to access protection elsewhere without having the legal and safe means to do so Furthermore the European Court of Human Rights rightfully condemned Italy for intercepting migrants at high seas and pushing them back to Libya This condemnation has put the spotlight on the responsibilities of States when undertaking

border control operations outside their territory

By the end of 2012 some 850000 refugees had fled Syria out of which only 21500 sought protec-tion in the EU ECRE called and continues to call on the EU and its Member States to ensure access to protection and fair asy-lum procedures for Syrian asylum seekers arriving in the EU Violence continues to escalate and the EU Member States should relax visa restrictions and family reunification rules and issue humanitarian visas through their embassies in neigh-bouring countries to facilitate access to the European territory for people fleeing Syria

While our challenges are enormous ECRErsquos potential is limit-less as well We have a duty to raise our game to help protect the rights of those fleeing persecution and violence I have accepted that challenge and look forward to working together with ECRErsquos members and partners to better protect the peo-ple we serve

Yours sincerely


Michael DiedringSecretary GeneralEuropean Council on Refugees and Exiles

6

Refugees in Greece How Much Further

In 2012 the situation for asylum seekers and refugees continued to deteriorate in Greece a country facing the full brunt of the economic crisis and lacking a functioning asylum and reception system ECRE the Greek Forum of Refugees and the film maker Matthias Wiessler joined forces to bring to the fore the voices of those who arrived in Greece fleeing countries such as Afghanistan Somalia or Sudan With the support of the European Programme for Integration and Migration (EPIM) the documentary How Much Further was released in Athens and Brussels on World Refugee Day 2012

How Much Further enters into the world of those who after months or even years on the road arrive in Greece hoping to find refuge in Europe but soon see no option but to resume their perilous journey in the hope of reaching a country that can receive them in dignity and consider their claim for asylum For most people staying in Greece means severe destitution the threat of racist violence and no hope of applying for asylum and getting their case fairly examined

The documentary is now available in English French Greek German and Serbian and has been seen by 5000 people in

English (available on YouTube and Vimeo) and over 10000 people in its Greek version In 2012 How Much Further was screened in Belgium Greece Denmark Switzerland and Ireland

Since the launch of the Greek National Action Plan in August 2010 Greek NGOs have severely criticized the authoritiesrsquo reluctance to take meaningful steps to make it operational and improve Greecersquos asylum and reception systems In May 2012 ECRE and the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) presented a joint submission to the Committee of

7

Ministers of the Council of Europe focused on Greecersquos respect for its obligations arising from the MSS v Belgium amp Greece case through which the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) ruled that returning asylum seekers to Greece violated the European Convention on Human Rights due to the inhuman and degrading treatment and lack of effective remedy available there for asylum seekers In particular the submission covered detention and living conditions for asylum seekers and access to the asylum procedure

Following the ECtHRrsquos ruling on MSS v Belgium amp Greece EU Member States have refrained from returning asylum seekers to Greece under the Dublin Regulation In 2012 however a report Human Cargo by ProAsyl and Greek Council for Refugees exposed the arbitrary readmissions from Italian sea ports to Greece

The report showed that despite an official stay on returns to Greece Italy returned people including children to Greece without verifying if they had protection needs In several cases examined in the report the returned people were detained prior to removal and upon their arrival in Greece in poor conditions

Throughout 2012 the Greek governmentrsquos response to the ever-escalating crisis for asylum seekers in Greece was to increase detention capacity Existing detention centres in Greece are notorious for particularly inhuman conditions In March 2012 the Greek government announced the establishment of 30 detention centres to hold 30000

undocumented migrants across the country In November Greece toughened its detention law for asylum seeker to a maximum of 18 months

The situation for migrants deteriorated significantly in August when the Greek Ministry of Public Order and Citizen Protection launched the operation ldquoXenios Zeusrdquo which led to the rounding up of thousands of migrants on the basis of their perceived ethnicities in a seemingly discriminatory manner ECRE called on Greece to immediately end this practice and sent a letter to EU Commissioner for Home Affairs Cecilia Malmstroumlm raising questions regarding the compatibility of the Xenios Operation with a number of safeguards laid down in the EU asylum and immigration legislation as well as the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights and requesting information on the Commissionrsquos response to Greek actions

ECRE continues to monitor the situation for refugees asylum seekers and would-be asylum seekers in Greece with concern While the fact that Member States no longer return asylum seekers to Greece under the Dublin Regulation has alleviated the situation and certainly allowed the people concerned to have a fairer chance of having their claim adequately assessed the outlook remains bleak for those people in Greece with no legal means for travelling onwards and for those arriving in Greece in the hope of finding a safe haven

8

Italy condemned for intercepting migrants at high seas and pushing them back to Libya

In February 2012 the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) admonished Italyrsquos push-back policy through the Hirsi Jammaa and others v Italy case where Italy was condemned for pushing back 24 Somalis and Eritreans who were intercepted on the high seas by Italian border guards taken on board the Italian ship and handed over to Libyan officials on the basis of the Friendship Treaty between Italy and Libya in 2009 The judgment has important consequences in particular for EU Member States institutions and agencies in the context of border management policies that aim to interfere with migration routes outside EU territory as control implies responsibility

EU Member States whether they act under the aegis of Frontex or not will have to review their border control and return operations in order to ensure the full respect of the principle of non refoulement with regard to every individual intercepted outside their territory and rule out the possibility of collective expulsions as prohibited under Article 4 of Protocol IV to the ECHR in line with the ECtHRs judgment

ECRE and CIR released a joint press release following the judgment Christopher Hein Director of the Italian Council for Refugees stated that ldquosuch a sentence proves that during the push-back operations the rights of refugees were systematically violated Italy in fact denied the possibility to apply for protection and has then pushed back to Libya more than a thousand people who had the right to be received in Italy We want that this message arrives unmistakably to

Access to Protection

ECRE interview with Thomas Gammeltoft-Hansen Danish Institute for International Studies

ldquo rdquoStates cannot shirk their human rights responsibilities by hiding behind the fact that they are operating beyond their physical borders

9

the Monti Government in re-contracting the co-operation agreements with the Libyan Transitional Government the rights of refugees cannot be negotiated We expect that the new Executive has clearer and stronger positions on this issue than the ones we have known about in the last weeksrdquo ECREs Acting Secretary General Allan Leas said that ldquothis ruling confirms that Statesrsquo obligations under the ECHR do not stop at their physical borders States cannot abdicate their principles values and commitment to the protection of human rights by doing outside their borders what would not be permissible in their territoriesrdquo

NGOs call for legal and safe channels to allow refugees reach Europe

In 2012 the CIR-led Entering the Territory project concluded with the publication of the report and press conference Reaching Europe in Safety The possibility to seek asylum through an embassy saved my life ECRE and other European NGOs participated in this joint project

Persons fleeing persecution often lack the means to travel legally and in safety to the EU For some people seeking asylum through embassies abroad was the only way to escape danger and find safety The lack of legal and safe means of accessing protection leaves people no option but to undertake the treacherous journey to Europe by land or sea Many of them pay for this with their lives According to estimates based only on the known incidents from 1998 to August 2011 17738 persons died attempting to reach Europe

Switzerland was the last European country that provided a formalized protected entry procedure The Swiss government abolished the procedure in 2012 Susanne Bolz Head of the Protection Unit of the Swiss Refugee Council emphasised that ldquoThe Swiss asylum procedure from abroad is not a perfect system but it saves lives In 2011 around 600 refugees received a visa to have their asylum claim assessed in Switzerland All those people who were able to enter Switzerland through the procedure at the embassies did not have to go to find a smuggler they didnrsquot have to pay lots of money they were not raped on their journey to Europe and they did not drown in the Mediterraneanrdquo

10

ELENA Network

The European Legal Network on Asylum (ELENA) is a forum of legal practitioners who aim to promote the highest human rights standards for the treatment of refugees asylum seekers and other persons in need of international protection in their daily individual counselling and advocacy work In 2012 the ELENA Network welcomed four new national coordinators the Croatian Law Centre the Slovakian Human Rights League the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights and the Irish Refugee Council Independent Law Centre

Rule 39 Research

In April 2012 ECREELENA published a qualitative research report on the current practices of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) Rule 39 interim measures Rule 39 measures are of vital importance to applicants as they constitute an avenue for the ECtHR to ensure that applicants will not be subjected to Member State action in possible contravention of their Convention rights before their cases can be heard by the court In asylum and immigration cases this frequently means preventing return and expulsion of the asylum seeker to hisher country of origin where return would violate their Convention rights

The report fruit of the collaborative work of legal practitioners active in 23 countries emphasizes several instances of non-compliance of Rule 39 indications in a number of

Member States which have led to persons being deported to countries where they are at risk of torture or other ill- treatment Moreover the research shows that there is a lack of effective national legal remedies in Member States and that the practice of accelerated procedures is placing persons at risk of refoulement Finally it is demonstrated that the right to individual petition and access to the Court is being circumvented through a variety of obstacles at the national level

The report details recommendations to the institutional bodies of the Council of Europe legal representatives and to Member States as to improving the functioning of this essential legal tool and to ensure access to effective legal remedies within State Parties themselves

11

ELENA Courses

ECREELENA has been running specialist and introductory refugee law courses for 25 years The topics of the courses are selected by the annual meeting of ELENA coordinators in response to needs identified by practitioners The courses are aimed at legal counsellors and lawyers from across Europe who defend or who are interested in defending cases concerning refugees and asylum seekers In 2012 two Advanced Courses took place one dealing with Generalised Violence Armed Conflict and the Need for International Protection and the on The Rights of Refugees

ECREELENA is deeply grateful to the experts who have lent their time to delivering these courses

Prof James Hathaway University of Michigan

Prof Luis Jimena Quesada President of the European Committee of Social Rights Council of Europe

Kees Wouters Senior Refugee Law Advisor Department of International Protection UNHCR

Blanche Tax Head of the Protection Information Unit Department of International Protection UNHCR

Mark Symes Asylum and Refugee law specialist

Flip Schuumlller Partner Boumlhler Advocaten

Nuala Mole Founder and Director of the AIRE Centre

Prof Heacutelegravene Lambert University of Westminster

Nino Hartl Country of Origin Information Expert EASO

Harald Doerig Justice at the German Federal Administrative Court

Ioana Patrascu Legal Officer European Commission

12

Instability following the Arab Spring continued in the region well into 2012 As the transitional period for Libya began and the reported numbers from UNHCR of Syrian refugees rose to 850000 by the end of 2012 all eyes were on Europes response The Danish and Cypriot Presidencies of the EU both faced pressure to react

ECRE shared its recommendations to the Danish Presidency to ensure a commitment to protection and respect for human rights of all persons including migrants and refugees in the Libyan context During the Cypriot presidency the Syrian refugee situation was further exacerbated by escalating violence rising death toll and increasing displacement in the region In its recommendations to the Cypriot Presidency ECRE called on the EU and its Member States to ensure access to protection and fair asylum procedures for Syrian asylum seekers arriving in the EU and to provide continuous support to the humanitarian efforts in the region in order to meet urgent needs and maintain the protection space

In 2012 ECRE published Comments on the Commissions Communication on the Global Approach to Migration and Mobility (GAMM) a landmark Communication that sets the framework for actions in the external dimension of EU migration and asylum policy in the context of Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) in the next years The new GAMM is structured around the concept of mobility and aims to be more political integrating migration dialogues in political dialogues with third countries In the new GAMM the three priorities of the Global Approach (promoting labour migration addressing irregular migration and enhancing the links between migration and development) are maintained and now complemented by a fourth one refugee protection ECRE addressed the limits of the GAMM being led by a JHA approach since an overarching framework would need the ability to address the root causes of migration and displacement and enhance conditions that affect the lives of both migrants and the local communities in the region These are all areas that are and should be addressed through development cooperation More importantly Europe needs to show political leadership and position itself as a global player in international migration governance seizing the moment to develop and promote a rights-based approach to migration globally Such an approach should be accommodated in EUs development and foreign policy and EU human rights strategy

Protection in Third Countries

13

With regards to refugee protection its inclusion as one of the four priorities in the new GAMM is welcomed as a way to ensure coherence and better address the challenges arising from the asylum-migration nexus At the same time ECRE argues that Europe should develop a comprehensive and ambitious policy for refugee protection globally that encompasses the CEAS and cooperation for protection in third countries Durable solutions and capacity building for asylum need to be integrated in development with clear and consistent policy objectives Seen from this perspective the European External Action Service (EEAS) has the potential to frame the debate around asylum differently in the context of a European policy for human rights and protection globally The credibility of EU actions to promote refugee protection and durable solutions in third countries also depends on whether Europe upholds its responsibilities for protection in its territory

In 2012 ECRE embarked on a two year project to develop dialogue and advocacy on refugee protection in

development cooperation between civil society and the EU institutions The project Dialogue on Migration and Asylum in Development (domaid) provides the space and framework to bring together ECREs Core Group on the External Dimension civil society organisations from third countries diaspora groups academics and representatives from the European Commission to exchange around three main themes capacity building for asylum promoting durable solutions in protracted refugee situations and the role of refugee diasporas This will be done through a series of tools including platform meetings public seminars regional debriefings for the Commission by NGOs present in the field and the publication of policy papers European NGOs active in third countries have first hand experience of protection gaps challenges and EU policy in the regions making them best placed to suggest ways to respond and highlight ways forward The Domaid Project also aims to enhance cooperation and foster synergies between European NGOs and diaspora organisations as well as between European NGOs and local civil society organisations in third countries

14

In March 2012 the European Union adopted a Joint EU Resettlement Programme for Refugees The adoption of this Joint Programme was seen as very important first step towards increasing the number of resettlement places made available by EU Member States

ECRE has coordinated and drafted a comparative study for the European Parliament on the best practices for the integration of resettled refugees in the EU Member States The study was released in early January 2013 ECRE highlighted that there is a need for more attention to be placed on integration of resettled refugees and the sustainability of current programs For resettled refugees citizenship applications are often restrictive and can hinder the integration process ECRE therefore recommended that Member States grant permanent resident status to resettled refugees upon arrival to ensure refugee integration from the start

ECRE is one of six leading organisations (Amnesty International CCME ICMC IOM and Save Me) in the refugee field that have launched the Campaign 20000 by

2020 asking for more and better resettlement in Europe with the target of 20000 persons resettled annually by the year 2020 The campaign is supported by the resettlement network whose website was launched in early March 2012 and is currently being developed to include a resource library a directory of resettlement policy makers and practitioners online discussion groups opportunities for online consultations and mutual learning via an online community of practice

In addition ECRE has also been working in close collaboration with the European University Institute on a resettlement project named Know Reset (Building Knowledge for a Concerted and Sustainable Approach to Refugee Resettlement in the EU and its Member States) The project aims to provide an overview of the current state of resettlement in Europe by examining the legislation policies and practices supporting resettlement in Member States that have regular resettlement programmes as well as those that offer places on an ad hoc basis The scope of research also includes Member States that have not been involved in resettlement so far in an effort to assess whether there is potential for resettlement in the future Country profiles are prepared for each Member State on the basis of qualitative and quantitative research including information on the legal framework practices the views of different stakeholders and the public discourse in relation to resettlement

Resettlement

The project website was launched in 2012 and features an online database of national and EU primary and secondary sources (legal and policy documents statistics financial data etc) as well as comparative information on resettlement policies and practices in the EU with graphs and tables

15

16

Detention

In late June 2012 a political agreement was reached between the European Parliament and the Council on the European Commissions amended recast proposal of the Reception Conditions Directive ECRErsquos advocacy focus with regard to this Directive centred on detention and sought to put pressure on the institutions to uphold stringent safe-guards against the detention of asylum seekers ECRE Amnesty International European Institutions Office and 166 organisations comprising human rights medical and judicial civil society organisations active across Europe and internationally appealed to the EU institutions to maintain the presumption against detention in EU asylum legislation and uphold as a minimum a list of essential safeguards on the detention of asylum seekers in EU asylum legislation Despite this coordinated action certain elements of the

compromise text are disappointing such as the absence of prohibition of the detention of unaccompanied asy-lum-seeking children and the broad formulation of grounds of detention which include the possibility to detain asylum seekers in order to verify their identity or nationality or in the context of a procedure to decide on the applicantrsquos right

to enter the territory This risks encouraging the systematic detention of asylum seekers instead of making the practice truly exceptional

People fleeing violence and persecution should not be incar-cerated as they have committed no crime The detrimental effects of detention on the physical and psychological well-being of people fleeing persecution is widely document-ed This is traumatic for people of all ages and backgrounds especially children victims of torture and those suffering from mental illnesses Detention can also severely impede a persons ability to integrate successfully into a country The dangers of detention are multifold and there are alternatives ECRE will continue to advocate against the detention of asylum seekers and promote the use of alternative non-cus-todial measures such as reporting arrangements At the same time ECRE will be putting pressure on States when implementing the new acquis to adopt more favourable provisions than what is provided for in the Directive and to fully implement procedural safeguards to protect asylum seekers from arbitrary detention including an automatic judicial review of detention and effective access to free legal assistance The full application of these provisions may mit-igate the inherent risks involved in the detention provisions in the recast Reception Conditions Directive

17

New Members

Aditus was established in March 2011 by a group of lawyers interested in human rights and access issues As an independent voluntary non-profit organisation it was established to monitor act and report on access to fundamental human rights by individuals and groups and believes in universality interdependence and indivisibility of all human rights Moreover aditus strives to promote a rights-based understanding and application of human rights and highlights the regional and international dimensions of human rights in Malta

The Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) Malta seeks to accompany serve and defend the rights of asylum seekers and forcibly displaced persons who arrive in Malta

JRS Malta provides essential services to asylum seekers beneficiaries of international protection and to forced migrants who cannot return to their country of origin JRS Malta works with migrants who are both in detention and living in the community

In 2012 the ECRE Alliance welcomed two new Members from Malta aditus and Jesuit Refugee Service Malta

18

Our Members in 2012

AUSTRIA Asylkoordination wwwasylkoordinationat

AZERBAIJAN International Eurasia Press Fund wwwiepf-ngoorg

BELGIUM Flemish Refugee Action wwwvluchtelingenwerkbe

Belgian Refugee Council wwwcbar-bchvbe

CIRE wwwcirebe

Belgian Red Cross - FR wwwcroix-rougebe

BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA Foundation of Local Democracy wwwfldba

Vaša prava BiH wwwvasapravaorg

BULGARIA Bulgarian Helsinki Committee wwwbghelsinkiorg

Bulgarian Red Cross wwwredcrossbg

CROATIA Croatian Law Centre wwwhpchr

CZECH REPUBLIC OPU wwwopucz

DENMARK Danish Refugee Council wwwdrcdk

FINLAND Finnish Red Cross wwwredcrossfi

Finnish Refugee Advice Centre wwwpakolaisneuvontafi

FRANCE Forum Reacutefugieacutes-Cosi wwwforumrefugiesorg

France Terre dAsile wwwfrance-terre-asileorg

GERMANY Arbeiterwohlfahrt wwwawoorg

Der Partitaumltische Gesamtverband wwwder-paritaetischede

Caritas Germany wwwcaritasde

German Red Cross wwwdrkde

Pro Asyl wwwproasylde

Diaconia Germany wwwdiaconiede

GREECE Greek Council for Refugees wwwgcrgr

HUNGARY Hungarian Helsinki Committee wwwhelsinkihu

Menedeacutek httpmenedekhu

IRELAND Irish Refugee Council wwwirishrefugeecouncilie

ITALY Italian Council for Refugees wwwcir-onlusorg

KOSOVO Civil Rights Program Kosovo wwwcrpkosovoorg

LITHUANIA Lithuanian Red Cross wwwredcrosslt

LUXEMBOURG Caritas Luxembourg wwwcaritaslu

MALTA aditus wwwaditusorgmt

Jesuit Refugee Service Malta wwwjrsmaltaorg

NORWAY NOAS wwwnoasorg

Norwegian Refugee Council wwwnrcno

ICORN wwwicornorg

POLAND Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights wwwhfhrpl

PORTUGAL Portuguese Refugee Council wwwcprpt

ROMANIA Romanian National Council for Refugees wwwcnrrro

RUSSIAN FEDERATION Memorial Human Rights Centre wwwmemoru

SERBIA Grupa 484 wwwgrupa484orgrs

Serbian Red Cross wwwredcrossorgrs

Asylum Protection Center wwwapc-czaorg

SLOVAKIA Slovak Humanitarian Council wwwshrsk

SPAIN ACCEM wwwaccemes

CEAR wwwceares

Rescate wwwongrescateorg

Spanish Red Cross wwwcruzrojaes

SWEDEN Caritas Sweden wwwcaritasse

Swedish Red Cross wwwredcrossse

SWITZERLAND Swiss Refugee Council wwwfluechtlingshilfech

NETHERLANDS Dutch Council for Refugees wwwvluchtelingenwerknl

UAF wwwuafnl

Pharos wwwpharosnl

TURKEY Helsinki Citizens Assembly wwwhydorgtr

UNITED KINGDOM British Red Cross wwwredcrossorguk

Asylum Aid wwwasylumaidorguk

ILPA wwwilpaorguk

Freedom from Torture wwwfreedomfromtortureorg

Embrace UK wwwembraceukorg

Refugee Action wwwrefugee-actionorguk

British Refugee Council wwwrefugeecouncilorguk

Refugee Studies Centre wwwrscoxacuk

INTERNATIONAL NETWORKS Amnesty International - EU Office wwwamnestyorg

CCME-CEC wwwccmebe

International Rescue Committee wwwrescueorg

Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society wwwhiasorg

ICMC wwwicmcnet

IRCT wwwirctorg

Jesuit Refugee Service - Europe wwwjrseuropeorg

Scottish Refugee Council wwwscottishrefugeecouncilorguk

19

Our Members in 2012 Staff

Michael DiedringSecretary General

Ana Lopez FontalSenior Press amp Public Information Officer

Louise CarrMembership Officer

Vianney StollCommunications Officer

Kris PolletSenior Legal amp Policy Officer

Aspasia PapadopoulouSenior Advocacy Officer

Maria HennessySenior Legal Officer

Claire RimmerHead of the Projects amp Tenders Team

Anne BathilyProject Officer

Heacutelegravene Soupios-DavidProject Officer

Caoimhe SheridanProject Officer

Elona BokshiProject Officer

Julia ZelvenskaSenior Legal Officer

Laurent AldenhoffFundraising Officer

Evelyne RottiersFinance amp Administration Manager

(Michael Diedring was appointed Secretary General in October 2012 Allan Leas was ECRErsquos Acting Secretary General until then)

Special thanks to all ECRE interns in 2012 Zoeacute Gardner Pauline Hilmy Meron Knikman Maude Lacour Markella Papadouli Lucia Rozkopalova and Rita Teller

20

Finances

Activities and projects

Administrative and General

Other

Private Foundations

European Commission - Project Funding

Membership Fees and Activities

Conferences and Trainings

Miscellaneous Revenue

Other Projects

European Commission - Core Grant

Expenditures Revenue

70

26

4

23

20

18

16

8

8

7

21

Projects

Domaid - Dialogue on Migration and Asylum in Development Funded by the European Commission - EuropeAid

Comparative Study on the Integration of Resettled Refugees Tender from the European Parliament

AIDA - Asylum Information Database Funded by the European Programme on Integration and Migration - EPIM

APAIPA - Actors of Protection and Application of the Internal Protection Alternative Funded by the European Commission ndash European Refugee Fund

SHARE Funded by FIPI and Fondation Roi Baudouin

Right to Justice - Quality Legal Assistance for Unaccompanied Children Funded by the European Commission - Fundamental Rights and Citizenship

FRAME - Promoting the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights within the legal networks active in the field of asylum and migration in Europe Funded by the European Commission - Fundamental Rights and Citizenship

Know Reset comparative study on resettlement Led by the European University Institute in Florence Funded by the European Commission - European Refugee Fund

Cities that care cities that share towards a network for cities and regions engaging in resettlement (The SHARE Project) Led by ICMC Funded by the European Commission - Pilot Project on Resettlement

European Network for Technical Cooperation on the Application of the Dublin II Regulation Led by Forum Reacutefugieacutes Funded by the European Commission - European Refugee Fund

Learning from Practice II (2nd part of the EDAL project) Led by the Irish Refugee Council Funded by the European Commission - European Refugee Fund

A Face to the Story - the issue of non removables in detention Led by Flemish Refugee Action Funded by the European Programme for Integration and Migration - EPIM

Refugee Integration ndash Assessment Evaluation Engagement and Capacity building in select Western and Central European countries Led by UNHCR Funded by the European Commission - European Refugee Fund

Linking in EU resettlement - linking the resettlement phases and connecting (local) resettlement practitioners Led by UNHCR IOM and ICMC Funded by the European Commission - European Refugee Fund

In 2012 ECRE carried out or took part in the following projects

22

Partners

Core funding

Strategic Partner

European CommissionDG Education and Culture

ldquoEurope for Citizensrdquo Programme

The Atlantic Philanthropies The Sigrid Rausing Trust The Joseph Rowntree Chartiable Trust

The Dutch Council for Refugees

The generosity of our institutional partners allows us to undertake our work interact more effectively with the members or our alliance and expand our activities in improving the rights of refugees and asylum seekers in Europe

European Council on Refugees and ExilesRue Royale 146 1st floor1000 Brussels Belgium

T +32 2 234 3 800F +32 2 514 5 922

The European Council on Refugees amp Exiles (ECRE) is a pan-European Alliance of refugee-assisting non-governmental organisations ECRE is concerned with the needs of all individuals who seek refuge and protection within Europe

It aims to promote the protection and integration of refugees in Europe based on the values of human dignity human rights and an ethic of solidarity

ECRE seeks to achieve this aim by

1 Advocating a fair and humane European asylum policy and by promoting the development of a comprehensive and coherent response by the international community to refugee movements

2 Strengthening networking between refugee-assisting non-governmental organisations in Europe

3 Developing the institutional capacity of refugee-assisting non-governmental organisations in Europe

ECRE draws on the energy ideas and commitment of an active membership of refugee-assisting non-governmental organisations and a strong secretariat It also strives to involve wider civil society the political community and refugee communities in its work It respects the cultural values of different parts of Europe

It aims to ensure that its ideas and positions are of high quality legally accurate and representative of a wide range of knowledge experience and best practice throughout Europe

Its working methods are guided by democratic values and the principle of seeking to mobilise the widest possible active involvement of its member agencies through working groups advisory groups regional fora and Europe-wide networks It encourages wherever appropriate its member agencies to take the lead on a particular project

Mission Statement

Summary





ELENA Network 10


Resettlement 14

Detention 16

New Members 17


Finances 20

Staff 19

Partners 22

Projects 21

4


Dear Readers





Yours sincerely


5


Dear Readers







Yours sincerely



6







7








8








9






10

ELENA Network


Rule 39 Research





11

ELENA Courses














12





13




14






Resettlement


15

16

Detention





17

New Members





18

Our Members in 2012





CIRE wwwcirebe































ICORN wwwicornorg










CEAR wwwceares







UAF wwwuafnl

Pharos wwwpharosnl




ILPA wwwilpaorguk







CCME-CEC wwwccmebe



ICMC wwwicmcnet

IRCT wwwirctorg



19



















20

Finances



Other

Private Foundations





Other Projects



70

26

4

23

20

18

16

8

8

7

21

Projects
















22

Partners

Core funding

Strategic Partner







T +32 2 234 3 800F +32 2 514 5 922

Summary





ELENA Network 10


Resettlement 14

Detention 16

New Members 17


Finances 20

Staff 19

Partners 22

Projects 21

4


Dear Readers





Yours sincerely


5


Dear Readers







Yours sincerely



6







7








8








9






10

ELENA Network


Rule 39 Research





11

ELENA Courses














12





13




14






Resettlement


15

16

Detention





17

New Members





18

Our Members in 2012





CIRE wwwcirebe































ICORN wwwicornorg










CEAR wwwceares







UAF wwwuafnl

Pharos wwwpharosnl




ILPA wwwilpaorguk







CCME-CEC wwwccmebe



ICMC wwwicmcnet

IRCT wwwirctorg



19



















20

Finances



Other

Private Foundations





Other Projects



70

26

4

23

20

18

16

8

8

7

21

Projects
















22

Partners

Core funding

Strategic Partner







T +32 2 234 3 800F +32 2 514 5 922

4


Dear Readers





Yours sincerely


5


Dear Readers







Yours sincerely



6







7








8








9






10

ELENA Network


Rule 39 Research





11

ELENA Courses














12





13




14






Resettlement


15

16

Detention





17

New Members





18

Our Members in 2012





CIRE wwwcirebe































ICORN wwwicornorg










CEAR wwwceares







UAF wwwuafnl

Pharos wwwpharosnl




ILPA wwwilpaorguk







CCME-CEC wwwccmebe



ICMC wwwicmcnet

IRCT wwwirctorg



19



















20

Finances



Other

Private Foundations





Other Projects



70

26

4

23

20

18

16

8

8

7

21

Projects
















22

Partners

Core funding

Strategic Partner







T +32 2 234 3 800F +32 2 514 5 922

5


Dear Readers







Yours sincerely



6







7








8








9






10

ELENA Network


Rule 39 Research





11

ELENA Courses














12





13




14






Resettlement


15

16

Detention





17

New Members





18

Our Members in 2012





CIRE wwwcirebe































ICORN wwwicornorg










CEAR wwwceares







UAF wwwuafnl

Pharos wwwpharosnl




ILPA wwwilpaorguk







CCME-CEC wwwccmebe



ICMC wwwicmcnet

IRCT wwwirctorg



19



















20

Finances



Other

Private Foundations





Other Projects



70

26

4

23

20

18

16

8

8

7

21

Projects
















22

Partners

Core funding

Strategic Partner







T +32 2 234 3 800F +32 2 514 5 922

6







7








8








9






10

ELENA Network


Rule 39 Research





11

ELENA Courses














12





13




14






Resettlement


15

16

Detention





17

New Members





18

Our Members in 2012





CIRE wwwcirebe































ICORN wwwicornorg










CEAR wwwceares







UAF wwwuafnl

Pharos wwwpharosnl




ILPA wwwilpaorguk







CCME-CEC wwwccmebe



ICMC wwwicmcnet

IRCT wwwirctorg



19



















20

Finances



Other

Private Foundations





Other Projects



70

26

4

23

20

18

16

8

8

7

21

Projects
















22

Partners

Core funding

Strategic Partner







T +32 2 234 3 800F +32 2 514 5 922

7








8








9






10

ELENA Network


Rule 39 Research





11

ELENA Courses














12





13




14






Resettlement


15

16

Detention





17

New Members





18

Our Members in 2012





CIRE wwwcirebe































ICORN wwwicornorg










CEAR wwwceares







UAF wwwuafnl

Pharos wwwpharosnl




ILPA wwwilpaorguk







CCME-CEC wwwccmebe



ICMC wwwicmcnet

IRCT wwwirctorg



19



















20

Finances



Other

Private Foundations





Other Projects



70

26

4

23

20

18

16

8

8

7

21

Projects
















22

Partners

Core funding

Strategic Partner







T +32 2 234 3 800F +32 2 514 5 922

8








9






10

ELENA Network


Rule 39 Research





11

ELENA Courses














12





13




14






Resettlement


15

16

Detention





17

New Members





18

Our Members in 2012





CIRE wwwcirebe































ICORN wwwicornorg










CEAR wwwceares







UAF wwwuafnl

Pharos wwwpharosnl




ILPA wwwilpaorguk







CCME-CEC wwwccmebe



ICMC wwwicmcnet

IRCT wwwirctorg



19



















20

Finances



Other

Private Foundations





Other Projects



70

26

4

23

20

18

16

8

8

7

21

Projects
















22

Partners

Core funding

Strategic Partner







T +32 2 234 3 800F +32 2 514 5 922

9






10

ELENA Network


Rule 39 Research





11

ELENA Courses














12





13




14






Resettlement


15

16

Detention





17

New Members





18

Our Members in 2012





CIRE wwwcirebe































ICORN wwwicornorg










CEAR wwwceares







UAF wwwuafnl

Pharos wwwpharosnl




ILPA wwwilpaorguk







CCME-CEC wwwccmebe



ICMC wwwicmcnet

IRCT wwwirctorg



19



















20

Finances



Other

Private Foundations





Other Projects



70

26

4

23

20

18

16

8

8

7

21

Projects
















22

Partners

Core funding

Strategic Partner







T +32 2 234 3 800F +32 2 514 5 922

10

ELENA Network


Rule 39 Research





11

ELENA Courses














12





13




14






Resettlement


15

16

Detention





17

New Members





18

Our Members in 2012





CIRE wwwcirebe































ICORN wwwicornorg










CEAR wwwceares







UAF wwwuafnl

Pharos wwwpharosnl




ILPA wwwilpaorguk







CCME-CEC wwwccmebe



ICMC wwwicmcnet

IRCT wwwirctorg



19



















20

Finances



Other

Private Foundations





Other Projects



70

26

4

23

20

18

16

8

8

7

21

Projects
















22

Partners

Core funding

Strategic Partner







T +32 2 234 3 800F +32 2 514 5 922

11

ELENA Courses














12





13




14






Resettlement


15

16

Detention





17

New Members





18

Our Members in 2012





CIRE wwwcirebe































ICORN wwwicornorg










CEAR wwwceares







UAF wwwuafnl

Pharos wwwpharosnl




ILPA wwwilpaorguk







CCME-CEC wwwccmebe



ICMC wwwicmcnet

IRCT wwwirctorg



19



















20

Finances



Other

Private Foundations





Other Projects



70

26

4

23

20

18

16

8

8

7

21

Projects
















22

Partners

Core funding

Strategic Partner







T +32 2 234 3 800F +32 2 514 5 922

12





13




14






Resettlement


15

16

Detention





17

New Members





18

Our Members in 2012





CIRE wwwcirebe































ICORN wwwicornorg










CEAR wwwceares







UAF wwwuafnl

Pharos wwwpharosnl




ILPA wwwilpaorguk







CCME-CEC wwwccmebe



ICMC wwwicmcnet

IRCT wwwirctorg



19



















20

Finances



Other

Private Foundations





Other Projects



70

26

4

23

20

18

16

8

8

7

21

Projects
















22

Partners

Core funding

Strategic Partner







T +32 2 234 3 800F +32 2 514 5 922

13




14






Resettlement


15

16

Detention





17

New Members





18

Our Members in 2012





CIRE wwwcirebe































ICORN wwwicornorg










CEAR wwwceares







UAF wwwuafnl

Pharos wwwpharosnl




ILPA wwwilpaorguk







CCME-CEC wwwccmebe



ICMC wwwicmcnet

IRCT wwwirctorg



19



















20

Finances



Other

Private Foundations





Other Projects



70

26

4

23

20

18

16

8

8

7

21

Projects
















22

Partners

Core funding

Strategic Partner







T +32 2 234 3 800F +32 2 514 5 922

14






Resettlement


15

16

Detention





17

New Members





18

Our Members in 2012





CIRE wwwcirebe































ICORN wwwicornorg










CEAR wwwceares







UAF wwwuafnl

Pharos wwwpharosnl




ILPA wwwilpaorguk







CCME-CEC wwwccmebe



ICMC wwwicmcnet

IRCT wwwirctorg



19



















20

Finances



Other

Private Foundations





Other Projects



70

26

4

23

20

18

16

8

8

7

21

Projects
















22

Partners

Core funding

Strategic Partner







T +32 2 234 3 800F +32 2 514 5 922


15

16

Detention





17

New Members





18

Our Members in 2012





CIRE wwwcirebe































ICORN wwwicornorg










CEAR wwwceares







UAF wwwuafnl

Pharos wwwpharosnl




ILPA wwwilpaorguk







CCME-CEC wwwccmebe



ICMC wwwicmcnet

IRCT wwwirctorg



19



















20

Finances



Other

Private Foundations





Other Projects



70

26

4

23

20

18

16

8

8

7

21

Projects
















22

Partners

Core funding

Strategic Partner







T +32 2 234 3 800F +32 2 514 5 922

16

Detention





17

New Members





18

Our Members in 2012





CIRE wwwcirebe































ICORN wwwicornorg










CEAR wwwceares







UAF wwwuafnl

Pharos wwwpharosnl




ILPA wwwilpaorguk







CCME-CEC wwwccmebe



ICMC wwwicmcnet

IRCT wwwirctorg



19



















20

Finances



Other

Private Foundations





Other Projects



70

26

4

23

20

18

16

8

8

7

21

Projects
















22

Partners

Core funding

Strategic Partner







T +32 2 234 3 800F +32 2 514 5 922

17

New Members





18

Our Members in 2012





CIRE wwwcirebe































ICORN wwwicornorg










CEAR wwwceares







UAF wwwuafnl

Pharos wwwpharosnl




ILPA wwwilpaorguk







CCME-CEC wwwccmebe



ICMC wwwicmcnet

IRCT wwwirctorg



19



















20

Finances



Other

Private Foundations





Other Projects



70

26

4

23

20

18

16

8

8

7

21

Projects
















22

Partners

Core funding

Strategic Partner







T +32 2 234 3 800F +32 2 514 5 922

18

Our Members in 2012





CIRE wwwcirebe































ICORN wwwicornorg










CEAR wwwceares







UAF wwwuafnl

Pharos wwwpharosnl




ILPA wwwilpaorguk







CCME-CEC wwwccmebe



ICMC wwwicmcnet

IRCT wwwirctorg



19



















20

Finances



Other

Private Foundations





Other Projects



70

26

4

23

20

18

16

8

8

7

21

Projects
















22

Partners

Core funding

Strategic Partner







T +32 2 234 3 800F +32 2 514 5 922

19



















20

Finances



Other

Private Foundations





Other Projects



70

26

4

23

20

18

16

8

8

7

21

Projects
















22

Partners

Core funding

Strategic Partner







T +32 2 234 3 800F +32 2 514 5 922

20

Finances



Other

Private Foundations





Other Projects



70

26

4

23

20

18

16

8

8

7

21

Projects
















22

Partners

Core funding

Strategic Partner







T +32 2 234 3 800F +32 2 514 5 922

21

Projects
















22

Partners

Core funding

Strategic Partner







T +32 2 234 3 800F +32 2 514 5 922

22

Partners

Core funding

Strategic Partner







T +32 2 234 3 800F +32 2 514 5 922


T +32 2 234 3 800F +32 2 514 5 922

ecre annual report 2012

Documents

ecre board

refugees exiles ecre

exceptional leadership

nongovernmental organisations

europewide networks

refugee communities

active membership of

working groups