Asylum Information Database (AIDA)
The Asylum Information Database (AIDA) is a database managed by the European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE), containing information on asylum procedures, reception conditions, detention and content of international protection across 20 countries. This includes 17 European Union (EU) Member States (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Germany, Spain, France, Greece, Croatia, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, United Kingdom) and 3 non-EU countries (Switzerland, Serbia, Turkey).
The overall goal of the database is to contribute to the improvement of asylum policies and practices in Europe and the situation of asylum seekers by providing all relevant actors with appropriate tools and information to support their advocacy and litigation efforts, both at the national and European level.
Year(s): 2015-2017
Target group(s): Asylum seekers and organisations working with them in Europe
Website: http://www.asylumineurope.org
Methodology
The objectives are carried out by AIDA through the following activities:
Country reports
AIDA contains national reports documenting asylum procedures, reception conditions, detention and content of international protection in 20 countries. The 2016 update of the country reports has been completed and an overview of country developments may be found here.
Comparative reports
AIDA comparative reports provide a thorough comparative analysis of practice relating to the implementation of asylum standards across the countries covered by the database, in addition to an overview of statistical asylum trends and a discussion of key developments in asylum and migration policies in Europe. Annual reports were published in 2013, 2014 and 2015. This year, AIDA comparative reports are published in the form of thematic updates, focusing on the individual themes covered by the database. Thematic reports have been published on reception (March 2016), asylum procedures (September 2016) and content of protection (March 2017).
Comparator
The Comparator allows users to compare legal frameworks and practice between the countries covered by the database in relation to the core themes covered: asylum procedure, reception, detention, and soon content of protection. The different sections of the Comparator define key concepts of the EU asylum acquis and outline their implementation in practice.
Fact-finding visits
AIDA includes the development of fact-finding visits to further investigate important protection gaps established through the country reports, and a methodological framework for such missions. The first fact-finding visit was conducted in December 2014 in Greece and focussed on the reception conditions in the First Reception Centre of Fylakio. A second fact-finding visit in Hungary was conducted in September-October 2015, focusing on the Röszke transit zone at the Serbian border and on issues relating to asylum detention and the criminalisation of irregular entry. A third fact-finding visit was conducted in Austria in early December 2015, looking at registration and the unavailability of accommodation as barriers to access the asylum procedure. A fourth fact-finding visit took place in Croatia at the end of November 2016, to document developments relating to access to the territory and the treatment of Dublin returnees.
Legal briefings
Legal briefings aim to bridge AIDA research with evidence-based legal reasoning and advocacy. With the assistance of information gathered from country reports, these short papers identify and analyse key issues in EU asylum law and policy and identify potential protection gaps in the asylum acquis. Legal briefings so far cover: (1) Dublin detention; (2) asylum statistics; (3) safe countries of origin; (4) procedural rights in detention; (5) age assessment of unaccompanied children; (6) residence permits for beneficiaries of international protection; (7) the length of asylum procedures; (8) travel documents for beneficiaries of international protection; (9) a statistical update on the Dublin system; and (10) accelerated procedures.
Type of product
Country reports
Comparative reports
Comparator
Fact-finding visits
Legal briefings
Brief description of the product / outcome / method
See methodology
Impact on target groups / Transferability potential
To contribute to the improvement of asylum policies and practices in Europe and the situation of asylum seekers by providing all relevant actors with appropriate tools and information to support their advocacy and litigation efforts, both at the national and European level.
Promoter of the initiative
Name of organization / individual: European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE)
Website: https://www.ecre.org
Contacts: ECRE Brussels Office: Rue Royale 146, 1st Floor 1000 Brussels Belgium tel: +32 (0)2 234 3800 fax: +32 (0)2 514 5922