We are a non-profit project that aims to fill the data gaps relating to refugees and displaced people in Europe.
By Jael Tobler and Grainne Farrell Since the beginning of June 2019, the Greek island of Lesvos has seen a dramatic spike in arrivals crossing from Turkey to Lesvos. Between Friday night and Sunday morning, 16 boats were reported to have landed on Lesvos carrying 650 people[i]. The most recent numbers released on the … Continue reading Ground update: The situation for displaced people on Lesvos, Greece
By Katie Richards and Frances Timberlake, Refugee Women’s Centre Women and girls have been in makeshift settlements on the northern French coastline since the early 2000’s. Some travel alone; others travel with children or partners. But these camps have always been home to primarily young single men, making women a less visible minority that faces … Continue reading Shining a light on the needs of displaced women in northern France
By Max Roche Greece has become a state of containment. Refugees and displaced people that have entered Greece have been faced with an asylum system struggling prior to 2015 and a system of increasingly securitised borders which drastically limits the possibility of onward movement. For those stuck in Greece the reality of life is harsh. … Continue reading Displaced people and solidarity in Greece: The Evictions of Exarchia
By Elizabeth Hobbs In recent years there has been an alarming increase in the criminalisation of acts of solidarity within Europe. This is particularly prevalent in the context of solidarity with refugees and migrants, but it also poses a potential threat to the wider European human rights community. It is situated within the context of a rise … Continue reading The Criminalisation of Solidarity
In July, RRE and our partners convened at Parliament to make the case for Youth Welfare Officers in all initial and dispersal asylum accommodation. Advocates like this are urgently needed to monitor and support the mental health and welfare of 18- to 25-year-old asylum seekers[i]. These individuals endure unimaginable trauma before arriving in the UK, … Continue reading “My needs did not magically change or go away upon turning 18”: Why young asylum seekers need additional support
By Laura Keen A core tenet of Refugee Rights Europe’s work is to bring the voices of refugees and displaced people to the corridors of power. One way in which we do this is by submitting evidence from our first-hand field research to bodies like the United Nations, demonstrating the ways in which European states … Continue reading Torture and ill-treatment in Greece
By Laura Keen Under the current system, young asylum seekers between the ages of 18 and 25 receive no additional services or care despite being incredibly vulnerable. Most will have left home as children and grown up in incredibly harmful and traumatic environments, but are left isolated and unsupported once they reach the UK. To … Continue reading Protection is urgently needed for young asylum seekers in the UK
By Jay Burgess As the UK finishes marking both Refugee Week and World Refugee Day, one advocacy campaign is gaining mainstream traction. Lift the Ban, an award-winning coalition of 200 members, is campaigning to give asylum seekers in the UK access to work. Work allows asylum seekers to provide for themselves and their families with … Continue reading Ready, Waiting. The UK must let its asylum seekers work.
By Stephanie Pope, Senior Advocacy and Policy Officer In the wake of the European Parliament elections, Refugee Rights Europe is launching its next phase of EU-level policy and advocacy work. In 2019 and 2020, we will be working with policy-makers and advocacy partners in Brussels to achieve positive reform. Informed by data gathered from over … Continue reading Towards a Rights-Based Reform of the Common European Asylum System
By Aileen Voit The recent report by Refugee Rights Europe, researched in collaboration with MEENA Centre for Women and Children and the Baobab Women’s Project in Birmingham, raises considerable concern about the living standards for asylum-seeking women in the UK. In the United Kingdom, asylum seekers are entitled to be provided with accommodation and small … Continue reading The experiences of women in asylum accommodation: unsanitary and unsafe