Home >> Projects >> Resettlement >> Assessing and Strengthening Participation In Refugee Resettlement to Europe (ASPIRE Project)

Assessing and Strengthening Participation In Refugee Resettlement to Europe (ASPIRE Project)

The project "Assessing and Strengthening Participation In Refugee Resettlement to Europe" (ASPIRE) aims at encouraging additional EU member states to formally commit to resettlement, so that a sufficient number of EU resettlement countries is reached in order to explore added value of European coordination in this area. It takes place in the context of current discussions on new priorities in EU policies on asylum/refugee protection (process towards "Stockholm Programme") as well as in the context of developing the next phase of the Common European Asylum System.

The project works by:

  • analysing in which member states debates suggest an openness towards resettlement;
  • promoting existing policies and best practice in these member states;
  • bringing together governmental and non governmental actors in member states through debate-events celebrated in the capitals of EU member states;
  • providing continued updated information on resettlement to non-specialised public;
  • providing a forum of discussion and exchange for governmental actors, civil society actors and UNHCR to explore the role of European coordination in view of harmonisation of EU refugee policies.

The project builds upon the foundations of the study processes and consultations "Making Resettlement Work", "Resettlement: Capacity Building for Action" and "Resettlement - Broadening the Basis" which CCME organised since 2003, last years work on practical cooperation of ICMC and the MORE and MOST project. It takes up ECRE's "Way Forward" series of papers on Europe's role in the global refugee protection system, which includes a proposal for why and how a European Resettlement Programme should be established. It enlarges the network created between governmental institutions, UNHCR, Churches and other civil society actors in the field.

Project partners:

The project is primarily carried out by CCME, church-related agencies, ECRE and ECRE members, in connection with the respective European and global networks. However, the co-operation and exchange with and participation of other actors with an interest in refugee protection issues, which has been developed, will be continued and institutionalised: e.g. with NGOs, UNHCR or national governments (e.g. governments in emerging resettlement countries), as well as partners building operational capacity (ICMC).

Project Description (PDF, 115KB)