The AIRE Centre (Advice on Individual Rights in Europe) is an
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
registered
charity, with offices located in
London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
. It provides free legal advice on human rights and EU law issues in Europe, and seeks to promote the dissemination of information about
international human rights law
International human rights law (IHRL) is the body of international law designed to promote human rights on social, regional, and domestic levels. As a form of international law, international human rights law are primarily made up of treaties, ag ...
throughout
Europe.
History
The charity states its mission as:
Founded in 1993 by human rights lawyer Nuala Mole, it has provided advice and information to more than 8000 individuals on their rights under the two European legal orders (European Union Law and the European Convention on Human Rights). They develop their function by:
* Providing free legal advice to other lawyers and advisers in the voluntary sector
* Providing free legal advice to individuals directly
* Taking cases to the European Court of Human Rights
* Carrying out training and drafting reports and other publications
Funding
The charity gains funding from various sources, including the
Equality and Human Rights Commission
The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is a non-departmental public body in Great Britain, established by the Equality Act 2006 with effect from 1 October 2007. The Commission has responsibility for the promotion and enforcement of e ...
(April 2009 to April 2012, £185,906), the
Diana, Princess of Wales
Diana, Princess of Wales (born Diana Frances Spencer; 1 July 1961 – 31 August 1997) was a member of the British royal family. She was the first wife of King Charles III (then Prince of Wales) and mother of Princes William, Prince of Wales, ...
Memorial Fund and
Comic Relief.
Controversy
The charity has backed a number of controversial test cases at the European Court of Human Rights:
* In 2005 it backed convicted murderer John Hirst in his appeal to the ECtHR regarding the blanket ban on prisoners' voting rights. Since the successful ruling, AIRE have made further appeals to the ECtHR, and lobbied various parties, groups and politicians at Westminster
* In 2011, it represented
Somali illegal immigrants – Abdisamad Sufi, who since entering the UK in 2003 had 17 convictions for offences including burglary, fraud, threats to kill and indecent exposure; and Abdiaziz Elmi, a drug addict with convictions for drugs and theft – against the
UK Border Agency
The UK Border Agency (UKBA) was the border control agency of the Government of the United Kingdom and part of the Home Office that was superseded by UK Visas and Immigration, Border Force and Immigration Enforcement in April 2013. It was form ...
who were requesting deportation. The ECtHR ruled in favour of the two, stating that return to Somalia in light of their activities in the UK could be a violation of Article 3 (prohibition of
inhuman or degrading treatment) of the European Convention on Human Rights if the pair were sent back to
Mogadishu
Mogadishu (, also ; so, Muqdisho or ; ar, مقديشو ; it, Mogadiscio ), locally known as Xamar or Hamar, is the capital and most populous city of Somalia. The city has served as an important port connecting traders across the Indian Oc ...
, resulting in their facing ill treatment under local
Sharia law
Sharia (; ar, شريعة, sharīʿa ) is a body of religious law that forms a part of the Islamic tradition. It is derived from the religious precepts of Islam and is based on the sacred scriptures of Islam, particularly the Quran and the ...
. The charity later requested and gained ECtHR legal approval to extend the arrangement to 214 other named illegal Somali immigrants.
* 2011: appealed on behalf of
Nigeria
Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of G ...
n national Akindoyn Akinshipe, who aged 15 attacked and
rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse or other forms of sexual penetration carried out against a person without their consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority, or a ...
d a 13-year-old girl. Convicted and handed a four-year sentence for rape, he was advised aged 16 whilst in jail that on completion of his sentence he would be deported. Akinshipe immediately appealed the decision through both the UK and ECtHR courts process for eight years, before being arrested again aged 24 by the UK Border Agency for deportation. Held at an immigration detention centre, AIRE appealed to the ECtHR under Article 8 of the ECHR that deportation would detrimentally affect his right to "Private and Family life", which the ECtHR agreed with.
* 2013: brought test cases to the ECtHR arguing for the right of EU immigrants not to have to undergo a residency test before they can claim a host of benefits. The
European Commission
The European Commission (EC) is the executive of the European Union (EU). It operates as a cabinet government, with 27 members of the Commission (informally known as "Commissioners") headed by a President. It includes an administrative body ...
referred the United Kingdom to the EU's European Court of Justice in Luxembourg over the right to reside test.
References
External links
Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:AIRE Centre
Legal organisations based in London
International human rights organizations
Organizations established in 1993
Charities based in London
1993 establishments in England
Advice organizations