Eastern Europe
Since May 2004, Belarus, Moldova, Ukraine and the Russian Federation have found themselves on the borders of a new, enlarged European Union. In many ways, this provides new opportunities, although it also presents new challenges. One sphere where the new neighbouring states are coming under increasing pressure is that of migration management. Although the numbers of asylum seekers have decreased in many Western European countries in recent years, many of the new neighbouring countries are now having to deal with larger numbers of mixed flows of migrants trying to get to the EU, including asylum seekers and refugees. The position of refugee-assisting non-governmental organisations (NGOs) is a major concern in ECRE's project countries in Eastern Europe: Belarus, Moldova, the Russian Federation and Ukraine. An unstable political climate in many of the project countries means that they are now under increasing pressure and scrutiny. Measures employed by the governments to control NGO activity include stringent administrative requirements such as restrictive tax legislation and requirements for re-registration. Low public awareness and understanding of refugee issues, combined with the absence of a fully independent media, often lead to hostility towards the NGOs who work on their behalf. ECRE's programme in Eastern Europe aims to strengthen the rule of law and the development of strong civil society leading to increased protection of refugees and asylum seekers in the region. Through our project activities in Eastern Europe ECRE seeks to increase respect for human rights of refugees and asylum seekers in the Russian Federation, Belarus, Ukraine and Moldova and to promote integration of refugees and forced migrants. The programme also aspires to encourage cooperation between governmental and non-governmental agencies as well as to improve governmental and public attitudes towards refugees, migrants and minority communities. |
 Annual Reports Position Papers Press Release Russian Roulette? ‘Dublin' Regulation Puts Chechen Refugees at Risk Русская рулетка? Регламент «Дублин» создает риск для чеченских беженцев |