The Italian Council for Refugees is an independent humanitarian organization established in Italy in 1990, at the initiative of the United Nations, with the aim of defending the rights of refugees and asylum seekers . For 32 years, the CIR has worked to promote access to protection for people fleeing war and persecution and to help build dignified reception and integration conditions, in full respect of human rights. The CIR is a non-profit organization with legal personality and a lean structure of legal and social workers, cultural mediators, doctors, and psychologists. The CIR operates at the national and European levels , in coordination with other civil society organizations. The CIR does not receive specific state funding but operates on the basis of projects approved and funded by the United Nations, the European Union, the Italian government, regions, municipalities, and private foundations.