The Asylum Information Database (AIDA) is a database managed by the European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE) containing information on asylum procedures, reception conditions, detention and content of international protection in 20 countries across Europe. As a member of ECRE, we are responsible for updating the reports on Ireland. 

The overall goal of the database is to contribute to the improvement of asylum policies and practices in Europe and the situation of people seeking protection by providing all relevant actors with appropriate tools and information to support their advocacy and litigation efforts, both at the national and European level. 

Country reports

AIDA contains national reports documenting asylum procedures, reception conditions, detention and content of international protection in 20 countries. Ireland's latest report was published in April 2021. It is the most detailed and up to date description of the Irish protection process available.

Download Ireland's 2020 Country Report

Download fact sheet of key statistics

Comparative reports

AIDA comparative reports provide a thorough comparative analysis of practice relating to the implementation of asylum standards across the 20 countries in addition to an overview of statistical asylum trends and a discussion of key developments in asylum and migration policies in Europe. AIDA comparative reports are published in the form of thematic updates, focusing on the individual themes covered by the database. Recent reports include: 

Asylum authorities: An overview of internal structures and available resources, 11 October 2019 

Housing out of reach? The reception of refugees and asylum seekers in Europe, 27 May 2019  

Access to protection in Europe: The registration of asylum applications, 11 October 2018

Access to protection in Europe: Borders and entry into the territory, 11 October 2018

Legal briefings

Legal briefings aim to bridge AIDA research with evidence-based legal reasoning and advocacy. With the assistance of information gathered from country reports, these short papers identify and analyse key issues in EU asylum law and policy and identify potential protection gaps in the asylum acquis. Legal briefings so far cover:

Withdrawal of reception conditions for asylum seekers: An appropriate, effective or legal sanction? July 2018

Relocation: A view from destination countries, May 2018

The detention of asylum seekers in Europe: Constructed on shaky ground? June 2017

Accelerated, prioritised and fast-track asylum procedures: Legal frameworks and practice in Europe, May 2017

Unravelling Travelling: Travel documents for beneficiaries of international protection, October 2016

The length of asylum procedures in Europe, October 2016

Asylum on the Clock? Duration and review of international protection status in Europe, June 2016

The Legality of Detention of Asylum Seekers under the Dublin III Regulation, June 2015

For more information on the database, please contact the European Council on Refugees and Exiles.