{"id":14036,"date":"2025-04-29T07:09:58","date_gmt":"2025-04-29T07:09:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.migpolgroup.com\/?p=14036"},"modified":"2025-04-30T13:37:55","modified_gmt":"2025-04-30T13:37:55","slug":"asylum-funding-crisis-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.migpolgroup.com\/index.php\/2025\/04\/29\/asylum-funding-crisis-2\/","title":{"rendered":"MPG and Civil Society partners sound the alarm on asylum funding crisis"},"content":{"rendered":"
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MPG has joined over 100 civil society organisations in signing an open letter coordinated by the European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE)<\/a>, raising alarm over the global funding cuts threatening Europe\u2019s asylum and migration systems.<\/p>\n

With major reductions in humanitarian aid from both the US and European donors, civil society organisations are losing vital resources to support refugees and asylum seekers, including legal aid, housing, and integration services. These cuts come at a time of rising displacement and growing pressure on national asylum systems.<\/p>\n

The letter calls on the European Commission, EU Member States, and private funders to take immediate action to address this crisis and ensure that civil society can continue playing its essential role in upholding the right to asylum.<\/p>\n


\nFull letter:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Amid significant funding cuts, civil society calls on institutional and private donors to step up and work with civil society to ensure functioning asylum systems in Europe.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The implications of US funding cuts for humanitarian assistance and development support are severe and far-reaching, including in large displacement crises and for major refugee-hosting countries. It is projected that USAID programmes in Ethiopia, the DRC, Colombia, South Africa, Palestine, Bangladesh, Kenya, Afghanistan, and Tanzania have each been cut by over 200 million USD. The largest absolute cut is in Ukraine with 1.4 billion USD removed. In the cases of Afghanistan, Palestine and Somalia it is estimated US funding cuts represent a loss of over 1 percent of their gross national income (GNI). Compounding the impact, less dramatic but still significant reductions in aid budgets have taken place at major European donors, including the UK, France, the Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland, and will likely also occur in Germany.<\/p>\n

The repercussions will be felt around the world: life-saving assistance will not be provided to millions of people in need and very difficult decisions about resource allocation need to be taken. People who are forcibly displaced within their home country or across borders will feel the impact imminently. While the majority will be stuck in protracted displacement internally or in neighbouring countries, others will be forced to embark on dangerous journeys to access humanitarian assistance, including towards Europe.<\/p>\n

The impact of the funding cuts will be significant, also on asylum systems in Europe. First, cuts to support for displaced people in countries such as Ukraine or T\u00fcrkiye will likely lead to more people arriving in EU Member States in search of protection. Second, the European asylum sector, which in many countries is heavily dependent on funding from institutional or private donors, is directly affected. Many civil society organisations supporting asylum seekers and refugees through services, legal aid, and support to inclusion have been hit by the end of US funding either through direct cuts or because intermediary donors or partners, such as UNHCR, have ended or reduced their support. The significant reduction in UNHCR\u2019s budget will mean that the majority of civil society organisations working on asylum in Europe will be affected. This aggravates the already adverse funding environment for organisations work on refugee rights, many of which face national governments that refuse or severely limit funding to this sector.<\/p>\n

At the time of writing, significant funding cuts have been reported in Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Cyprus, Estonia, Georgia, Greece, Kosovo, Malta, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Sweden and T\u00fcrkiye.
\nAs a result, at a time of increased need due to rising displacement, civil society working on asylum and migration is under huge financial strain, facing significant reductions in staffing and activities. This will leave many people seeking protection in Europe unsupported, undermine the functioning of asylum systems, and jeopardise the implementation of the Pact
\non Migration and Asylum in which civil society has an important role to play.<\/p>\n

Given this new reality, it is imperative that all relevant actors – the European Commission, Member States and private funders – reassess their priorities and address the shortfalls to prevent a crisis of asylum, reception and inclusion in Europe.<\/p>\n

For this purpose, the undersigned organisations are calling on:
\nThe European Commission to:
\n\u27a2 use its mid-term review of Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) and the European Social Fund+ (ESF+) to ensure that funding channelled via Member States adequately supports civil society organisations working on asylum and migration.
\n\u27a2 consider how to fund civil society directly, e.g. through resources from the AMIF thematic facility, in order to respond to the emerging needs for legal aid, counselling and other activities all of which have a high added value for the EU as they support the implementation of the Pact.
\n\u27a2 review whether, given the changed context, Member States should be obliged to spend a certain percentage of their national programmes in support of civil society, a good practice established for EU funding for displacement from Ukraine.
\n\u27a2 adapt national programmes under the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA) to respond to the emerging needs in relation to asylum and migration.<\/p>\n

Member States to:
\n\u27a2 ensure that national programmes under the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) and the Border Management and Visa Instrument (BMVI) provide adequate resources for civil society organisations, that civil society are considered eligible under all relevant call for proposals and that activities include legal counselling and representation; calls should be issued promptly.
\n\u27a2 convene consultations with affected NGOs to understand what the needs are and how they can be addressed in the short-, medium- and long-term.<\/p>\n

Private funders to:
\n\u27a2 re-assess funding needs for asylum in Europe, increase resources for this purpose and prioritise countries where neither national allocation of EU funds nor institutional funding reaches civil society.<\/p>\n

Immediate action is needed now. In the medium term, the new funding reality should be reflected in the proposals and negotiations of the next Multi-annual Financial Framework which will start this year.<\/p>\n

List of signatories:<\/strong>
\n#DiasporaVote!
\nAccem
\naditus foundation
\nAfghanistan LGBTIQ+ Organisation (ALO)
\nAfrica Solidarity Centre Ireland
\nAmnesty International European Institutions Office
\nARCI APS
\nAre You Syrious?
\nARENE (Afghan Refugees Experts Network in Europe)
\nArsis Association for the Social Support of Youth
\nASOCIACI\u00d3N SALUD Y FAMILIA
\nAssociation for Legal Intervention (Stowarzyszenie Interwencji Prawnej)
\nAsyLex
\nBelgrade Centre for Human Rights
\nBetter Days Greece
\nBetter Future
\nBulgarian Helsinki Committee
\nBundeskonferenz der Migrant*innenorganisationen
\nCaritas Europa
\nCentre for Labour Rights, CLR
\nCentre for Peace Studies
\nChangemakers Lab
\nChurches’ Commission for Migrants in Europe CCME
\nCivil Rights Program Kosovo
\nCNCD-11.11.11
\nConselho Portugu\u00eas para os Refugiados \/ Portuguese Refugee Council (CPR)
\nConsiglio Italiano per i Rifugiati (Italian Council for Refugees)
\nCroatian Law Centre (hrvatski pravni centar)
\nCyprus Refugee Council
\nDoras
\nECRE
\nELIX
\nEquinox Initiative for Racial Justice
\nEstonian Refugee Council
\nEUCOMAR European Coalition of Migrants and Refugees
\nEuropean Network Against Racism
\nEuropean Network on Statelessness
\nFEANTSA – European Federation of National Organisations Working with the Homeless
\nFondation pour la promotion des droits en Alg\u00e9rie
\nForum r\u00e9fugi\u00e9s
\nFrance terre d’asile
\nGreek Council for Refugees (GCR)
\nGreek Forum of Refugees
\nHakunila International Organization
\nHelsinki Foundation for Human Rights
\nHIAS Europe
\nHIAS Greece
\nHomo Faber Association
\nHuman Rights Association (\u0130nsan Haklar\u0131 Derne\u011fi – \u0130HD)
\nHungarian Helsinki Committee
\nINTERSOS HELLAS
\nIRC – International Rescue Committee
\nIrish Refugee Council
\nJesuit Refugee Service (JRS) Belgium
\nJesuit Refugee Service (JRS) Europe
\nJesuit Refugee Service (JRS) Germany
\nJesuit Refugee Service Serbia
\nJRS Portugal
\nJRS Romania
\nKids in Need of Defense (KIND)
\nKISA (Cyprus)
\nMacedonian Young Lawyers Association
\nM\u00e9decins du Monde
\nMETAdrasi
\nMigrant Info Point Foundation
\nMigrant Women Association Malta
\nMigration Consortium
\nMigration Policy Group (MPG)
\nMosaico azioni per i rifugiati
\nNANSEN – The Belgian refugee Council
\nNew Women Connectors
\nNGO Legis
\nNOMADA Association
\nOcalenie Foundation
\nOPU – Organisation for Aid to Refugees
\norganisation marocaine des droits humains
\nOrganization for Aid to Refugees
\nPasserell
\nPIC – Legal Center for the Protection of Human Rights and the Environment
\nPlatform for International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants (PICUM)
\nPolish Migration Forum Foundation
\nQuaker Council for European Affairs
\nRainbow Afghanistan Organization
\nRed Acoge
\nRED AMINVI
\nRefugee Rights T\u00fcrkiye\/M\u00fclteci Haklar\u0131 Merkezi
\nRefugee Support Aegean (RSA)
\nSafe Passage International (Greece)
\nSafe Passage International in France
\nSalud por Derecho
\nSamos Volunteers
\nSEDA Voice
\nSolentra
\nSOLIDAR
\nSolidarityNow
\nSOLWODI Deutschland e.V.
\nSwedish Refugee Law Center
\nTerre des hommes Foundation Lausanne
\nTerre des Hommes Germany
\nThe Rule of Law Institute
\nThe Swedish Network of Refugee Support Groups (FARR)
\nUBUNTU-Initiative for Peace and Development
\nUkrainian House Foundation (Warsaw)
\nWE organization NL
\nXenion e.V.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][\/vc_column][vc_column][\/vc_column][vc_column][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]\n

About the Migration Policy Group (MPG)<\/span><\/h2>\n

MPG is an independent think-and-do-tank based in Brussels. MPG\u2019s purpose is rooted in its ability to inspire networks to provide evidence-based projects, research and campaigns in the areas of integration, migration and anti-discrimination.<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_column_text] MPG has joined over 100 civil society organisations in signing an open letter coordinated by the European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE), raising alarm over the global funding cuts threatening Europe\u2019s asylum and migration systems. With major reductions in humanitarian aid from both the US and European donors, civil society organisations are losing…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":14018,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[44],"tags":[176,120,178,177],"post_series":[],"class_list":["post-14036","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-ecre","tag-european-union","tag-funding-crisis","tag-letter","entry","has-media"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t