Asylum Aid
Last update of this source description: 14 April 2010.
Mission/Mandate:
“Asylum Aid is an independent, national charity. We work to secure protection for people seeking refuge in the United Kingdom from persecution and human rights abuses abroad.” (Asylum Aid Website, http://www.asylumaid.org.uk/pages/our_aims.html, accessed on 14 April 2010)
Target group:
“We provide legal representation to asylum-seekers. By combining expert legal advice work with campaigning activities, Asylum Aid responds to asylum-seekers' immediate legal needs and addresses the underlying causes of the difficulties they encounter during the asylum process.” (Asylum Aid Website, http://www.asylumaid.org.uk/pages/our_approach_to_policy_and_campaigns.html, accessed on 14 April 2010)
Objective:
“We aim:
to provide free, accessible, high-quality legal services to asylum-seekers - responsive to their needs and sensitive to their experience - with a particular focus on the most vulnerable and excluded
to lobby and campaign for an asylum system based on inviolable human rights principles, ensuring that what we say is firmly rooted in the work we do
to work with refugee and other community-based organisations, helping to enhance their legal services and learning from their experiences.” (Asylum Aid Website, http://www.asylumaid.org.uk/pages/our_aims.html, accessed on 14 April 2010)
Funding:
Grants and donations from trusts, foundations and statutory bodies, law firms and other NGOs and individuals. (Asylum Aid Website, http://www.asylumaid.org.uk/data/files/publications/91/AsylumAid2008_amended.pdf page 17, accessed on 14 April 2010)
Scope of reporting:
Geographic focus:
“The most common countries of origin are:
Iran, Somalia, Iraq, Zimbabwe, Eritrea, Uganda, Sudan, Angola, Nigeria, Turkey and Pakistan” (Asylum Aid Website, http://www.asylumaid.org.uk/data/files/publications/74/AsylumAid2007_amended.pdf, page 7, accessed on 14 April 2010)
Thematic focus:
HIV/AIDS; relocation; women
Reporting methodology:
Policy responses: “Asylum Aid's policy responses contain our positions on the key aspects of the UK asylum determination process that fall within our areas of concern, and our recommendations to policy-makers.“ (Asylum Aid Website, http://www.asylumaid.org.uk/publications.php?category=3&search=Search, accessed on 14 April 2010)
Press releases: „Asylum Aid works with the media in order to raise awareness of our work and contribute to public debate on asylum-related issues.“ (Asylum Aid Website, http://www.asylumaid.org.uk/publications.php?category=4&search=Search, accessed on 14 April 2010)
Research reports: „We produce our own research reports and publicise our recommendations“ (Asylum Aid Website, http://www.asylumaid.org.uk/data/files/publications/91/AsylumAid2008_amended.pdf, page 2, accessed on 14 April 2010)
Joint reports and reports on HIV/AIDS, relocation, trafficking of women etc. (Asylum Aid Website, http://www.asylumaid.org.uk/publications.php?category=2&search=Search, accessed on 14 April 2010)
Women's Asylum News: „Women's Asylum News is the Refugee Women's Resource Project's monthly bulletin. It contains news and information on issues affecting women asylum-seekers and refugees.“ (Asylum Aid Website, http://www.asylumaid.org.uk/publications.php?category=5&search=Search, accessed on 14 April 2010)
Publication cycle:
No regular publication cycle.
Languages:
English
Navigation of website:
Information about COI can be found under:
Publications, Policy and Campaigns > Publications library
Additional references:
Asylum Aid: Protection from Persecution - 20 years of Asylum Aid, 22 January 2010, http://www.asylumaid.org.uk/data/files/publications/123/20YearBookWEB.pdf (accessed on 14 April 2010)
Asylum Aid: Country of Origin Information and Women: Researching gender and persecution in the context of asylum and human rights claims (Bethany Collier), 2007, https://www.ecoi.net/file_upload/432_1206971434_country-of-origin-information-and-women.pdf (accessed on 14 April 2010)