Founded in 1986 by protestant pastor Jürgen Micksch [de], Catholic priest Herbert Leuninger and others, the organization has over 25.000 members and an annual budget of more than €5,800,000 (as of 2022).

The organization also does political lobbying for the rights of refugees by launching campaigns and taking part in panel and TV discussions.

With their pan-European network of correspondents, Pro Asyl conducts analysis and surveys about refugees' situation both in their countries of origin and on their escape routes and intermediate stopovers.

[4] During the 2015 European migrant crisis Pro Asyl representative Marei Pelzer criticised the coalition member CSU party of diffusing "cheap propaganda at the expense of the refugees," that was "designed to put the wind in the sails of far-right populists," thereby contributing to the social climate that led to numerous xenophobic attacks on refugees and their shelters.

[5] The organization received a number of awards of national relevance, including the Bonhoeffer-Prize 1998, the Aachener Friedenspreis 2001, and the Theodor-Heuss-Medal 2008.