European Council on Refugees and Exiles
Encyclopedia
The European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE) is a pan-European network of refugee
-assisting non-governmental organisations that promotes a humane and generous European asylum
policy. ECRE celebrated its 30th year of promoting the rights of asylum seekers and refugees in Europe in 2004.
ECRE started in 1974, when a handful of directors of Western European refugee support agencies recognised the need for co-operation between states to ensure that refugees were protected in Europe. It started life as the European Consultation on Refugees and Exiles, an informal platform of five refugee assisting NGOs.
As of September 2008 ECRE has a membership of 69 non-governmental organisations from 30 countries. ECRE is concerned with the needs of all individuals who seek refuge within Europe, and works to promote their protection and integration. At the EU level, ECRE responds to policies through an agreed programme of pro-active policy initiatives, research and advocacy aimed to encourage new thinking in the field of asylum in Europe.
The ECRE Secretariat, based in Brussels
, Belgium
, monitors the policies of the European Union
in relation to asylum and refugee protection. It works through research, information, policy development, capacity building and advocacy
with and on behalf of its wide membership.
Associate Members
Refugee
A refugee is a person who outside her country of origin or habitual residence because she has suffered persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or because she is a member of a persecuted 'social group'. Such a person may be referred to as an 'asylum seeker' until...
-assisting non-governmental organisations that promotes a humane and generous European asylum
Right of asylum
Right of asylum is an ancient juridical notion, under which a person persecuted for political opinions or religious beliefs in his or her own country may be protected by another sovereign authority, a foreign country, or church sanctuaries...
policy. ECRE celebrated its 30th year of promoting the rights of asylum seekers and refugees in Europe in 2004.
ECRE started in 1974, when a handful of directors of Western European refugee support agencies recognised the need for co-operation between states to ensure that refugees were protected in Europe. It started life as the European Consultation on Refugees and Exiles, an informal platform of five refugee assisting NGOs.
As of September 2008 ECRE has a membership of 69 non-governmental organisations from 30 countries. ECRE is concerned with the needs of all individuals who seek refuge within Europe, and works to promote their protection and integration. At the EU level, ECRE responds to policies through an agreed programme of pro-active policy initiatives, research and advocacy aimed to encourage new thinking in the field of asylum in Europe.
The ECRE Secretariat, based in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, monitors the policies of the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
in relation to asylum and refugee protection. It works through research, information, policy development, capacity building and advocacy
Advocacy
Advocacy is a political process by an individual or a large group which normally aims to influence public-policy and resource allocation decisions within political, economic, and social systems and institutions; it may be motivated from moral, ethical or faith principles or simply to protect an...
with and on behalf of its wide membership.
Member Organisations
List of ECRE member organisations and associate members organisations in alphabetical order.- ACCEM - Asociación Comisión Católica Espanola de Migración
- Arbeiterwohlfahrt – awo bundesverband e.v
- Asylkoordination
- British Red CrossBritish Red CrossThe British Red Cross Society is the United Kingdom branch of the worldwide impartial humanitarian organisation the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. The society was formed in 1870, and is a registered charity with over 31,000 volunteers and 2,600 staff. At the heart of their work...
- British Refugee Council
- Bulgarian Helsinki Committee
- Bulgarian Red CrossBulgarian Red CrossThe Bulgarian Red Cross was established in 1878 after the liberation of the Principality of Bulgaria and the region of Eastern Rumelia from control of the Turkish Ottoman Empire. The first BRC organization was established in May 1878 in the Principality of Bulgaria and Eastern Rulmelia, in the...
- Caritas Luxembourg
- Caritas Sweden
- CEAR - Comisión Española de Ayuda al Refugiado
- CIR - Italian Council for Refugees
- Comite Internacional de Rescate
- Croatian Law Centre
- Danish Refugee CouncilDanish Refugee CouncilDanish Refugee Council is a private Danish humanitarian organisation, founded in 1956. It serves as an umbrella organization for 33 member organizations....
- Der Paritatische Wolfahrtsverband Gesamtverband
- Deutscher Caritasverband
- Diakonie/Protestant Refugee Service Austria
- Diakonisches Werk der EKD
- Dutch Council for Refugees
- Education Action International
- Ethiopian Community Centre in the UK
- Finnish Red CrossFinnish Red CrossThe Finnish Red Cross is a part of International Federation of Red Cross, which is one of the biggest and well-known international organisation in the world and on the field of humanitarian aid. FRC has over 90,000 members and around 45,000 active volunteers in Finland. FRC is divided to 12...
- Finnish Refugee Advice Centre
- Forum Refugies
- France Terre d'Asile
- German Red CrossGerman Red CrossThe German Red Cross , or the DRK, is the national Red Cross Society in Germany.With over 4.5 million members, it is the third largest Red Cross society in the world. The German Red Cross offers a wide range of services within and outside Germany...
- Greek Council for Refugees
- Group 484 (Serbia)
- Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society
- Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly (Turkey)
- Helsinki Foundation For Human Rights (Poland)
- Hungarian Helsinki CommitteeHungarian Helsinki CommitteeThe Hungarian Helsinki Committee is a non-governmental human rights organization founded in 1989 and based in Budapest, Hungary. The HHC is a member of the International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights and the European Council on Refugees and Exiles.The HHC defines itself as monitoring the...
- ILPA
- Immigration Advisory ServiceImmigration Advisory ServiceThe Immigration Advisory Service is a UK organisation registered as a charity, providing direct legal assistance to refugees, asylum seekers and others needing advice and guidance around British immigration law. Founded in 1993, it was formed out of the former United Kingdom Immigrants Advisory...
- Integrating Ireland
- International Catholic Migration CommissionInternational Catholic Migration CommissionThe International Catholic Migration Commission is an international organization that serves and protects the needs of uprooted people, refugees, internally displaced persons and migrants, with operations in 30 countries of the world, including Indonesia, Jordan, Lebanon, Pakistan and Turkey.ICMC...
- International Eurasia Press Fund
- International Rehabilitation Council for Victims of Torture
- International Rescue Committee - Belgium
- Irish Refugee Council
- Jesuit Refugee ServiceJesuit Refugee ServiceThe Jesuit Refugee Service is an international Catholic organization that aids refugees, forcibly displaced peoples, and asylum seekers. JRS operates at national and regional levels. Founded in November, 1980 as a work of the Society of Jesus, JRS was officially registered on March 19, 2000 in...
- Europe - Lithuanian Red Cross
- Memorial Human Rights Centre (Russia)
- MENEDEK - Hungarian Association for Migrants
- Norwegian Organisation for Asylum Seekers
- Norwegian Refugee CouncilNorwegian Refugee CouncilThe Norwegian Refugee Council is an independent, humanitarian non-governmental organisation which provides assistance, protection and durable solutions to refugees, internally displaced persons, and returnees worldwide. NRC promotes and protects the rights of people who have been forced to flee...
- OPU
- OSAR/SFH
- Pharos
- Portuguese Refugee Council
- Pro Asyl
- Radda Barnen Sweden (Save the Children)
- Red Cross Of Serbia
- Refugee ActionRefugee ActionRefugee Action is an independent national charity founded in 1981 that provides advice and support to refugees and Asylum seekers who wish to live in the UK...
- Refugee Legal Centre
- Romanian National Council for Refugees - CNRR
- Scottish Refugee CouncilScottish Refugee CouncilScottish Refugee Council was formed in 1985 to provide advice and assistance to refugees and asylum seekers seeking protection in Scotland. The charity has grown considerably since then, and has its headquarters in Glasgow, and outreach work in Edinburgh....
- Slovak Humanitarian Council
- Swedish Red Cross
- Swedish Refugee Aid
- University Assistance Foundation - UAF
- Vluchtelingenwerk Vlaanderen
- Welsh Refugee Council
Associate Members
- Amnesty InternationalAmnesty InternationalAmnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
- International Secretariat - Conference of European Churches (CEC)/Churches' Commission for Migrants in Europe (CCME)
- Lutheran World FederationLutheran World FederationThe Lutheran World Federation is a global communion of national and regional Lutheran churches headquartered in the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva, Switzerland. The federation was founded in the Swedish city of Lund in the aftermath of the Second World War in 1947 to coordinate the activities of the...
- Refugee Studies Centre