Becoming a member of the European Council for Refugees and Exiles (ECRE), IDEAS confirmed that it shares the common values with numerous organisations gathered around one of the most reputable coalitions mandated for protection and advancement of the rights of refugees, asylum-seekers and displaced persons.
The organisation Centre for Research and Social Development IDEAS became a new member of one of the most reputable coalitions gathering more than 100 organisations from 40 countries in Europe, whose mandate is to protect and advance the rights of refugees, asylum-seekers and displaced persons. IDEAS thus confirmed that it shares the values of the ECRE member organisations, primarily with respect to promotion of establsihment of fair and humane asylum policies and practices in line with the international human rights law.
IDEAS has been working for years to improve public policies and practices in the field of refugee and migrant protection in order to ensure full respect of their human rights and establishment of an efficient migration management system in the Republic of Serbia. IDEAS first engaged in asylum and migration from the aspect of child protection. The first results were UNHCR-supported development of Standard Operational Procedures for the protection of unaccompanied refugee and migrant children and development of guardianship services implemented in partnership with the social protection system. In its 2019 overview, the Council of Europe recognized both projects as best practices in work with refugee and migrant children. IDEAS continuously provides support to refugee and migrant children through targeted awareness-raising activities and resolution of their legal status in the Republic of Serbia. In view of the rise of anti-migrant sentiment in the society, IDEAS recognised the significance of strategic combating hate speech and xenophobia directed at refugees and migrants and geared its activities towards decomposition of prejudices and stereotypes about this social group in the public space as well as combating manipulative ideologies and practices based in xenophobic beliefs.
Admission to ECRE membership is yet another acknowledgement of the work of IDEAS in the area of the protection of human rights of refugees, asylum-seekers and the displaced, i.e., the persons in need of international protection. The members of the IDEAS team have extensive experience in working with this pan-European coalition, having participated in various initiatives and activities such as ELENA and AIDA network.