European Refugee Fund

This page contains details of phase III of the European Refugee Fund (ERF III), and explains how organisations can apply for funding.

Established on 1 January 2008, ERF III aims to support the efforts of European Union (EU) member states in:

  • the reception of asylum seekers and the way that asylum claims are processed;
  • the integration of refugees and people with other forms of subsidiary protection, such as humanitarian protection (HP)
  • the development, monitoring and evaluation of asylum policies within the member state;
  • the resettlement of those in need of protection as identified through resettlement programmes in conjunction with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR);
  • the transfer of asylum seekers between member states under the Dublin II regulations.

ERF III will run until 31 December 2013 and is planned over 2 separate 3-year funding periods. It prioritises:

  • the implementation of the principles and measures set out in the EU's Community acquis in the field of asylum, including those related to integration objectives;
  • the development of reference tools and evaluation methods to assess and improve the quality of procedures to examine claims for international protection, and to strengthen administrative structures in order to practically cooperate with other member states;
  • actions helping to enhance responsibility sharing between member states and other countries outside Europe.

The ERF III is one of 3 EU migration funds (within the 'solidarity and management of migration flows' funds) that the UK takes part in. The others are the Return Fund and the European Integration Fund.

The UK receives an annual allocation from ERF III, which it administers according to strict rules set by the European Commission. For more information about how the UK is spending and administering its allocation, see the ERF III summary 2008-2013 (PDF 412KB opens in new window). Note that all figures in the summary are estimated and are subject to change. The division of funding to the ERF priorities may also change, depending on the changing situation at UK and EU level.

Organisations wishing to bid for ERF III funding can do so through advertised calls for proposals, which are periodically published on this website.

Use of the fund 2005-2011

The lists of UK projects selected for funding can be found on the right side of this page.

The list of UK projects selected for co-funding by ERF III in 2008 contains brief details of the funded projects in the 1st year of phase III.

The list of UK projects selected for co-funding by phase II of the European Refugee Fund, 2005-2007 contains brief details of the funded projects in the previous phase of the fund.