Increasing the role of NGOs in the social integration of labour migrants in the CR

1. Increasingthe role ofNGOs in thesocialintegrationoflabourmigrants in the CR AssociationforIntegration and Migration 7 October 2011, Lisbone Eva Valentova

2. CONTENT • Introductionof AIM withthefocus on: • Background • Freecounselling& advocacy (ourcoremission) 2) ESF project on the role NGOs in thefieldoflabourmigration • Objectives • Role of NGOs 3) Domesticworkers – immigrantwomen • Situation in the CR • Ourapproach

3. 1. ABOUT AIM

4. OUR HISTORY • 1992:Czech Helsinki Committee– Counselling Centre for Refugees • 1998:COM - sister organization registered • 2002:CCR - newly established • 2008:CCR merged with COM into AIM (SIMI) – Association for integration and migration • Merger background: • Be transparentto the external world • Follow the “market demand”– shrinking numbers of refugees v. Schengen migration • Resist better to the financial difficulties – be more consistent in the granting procedures • Extend the objectives and activities– evolving tolerance, fighting xenophobia and racism

5. OUR MISSION • Human rights and non-profit organisation • Respect of rights of foreign nationals & refugees • Right toindependent & free assistance • Most appropriatesolutions • Offering non-selectiveadvice • Grass-root (12 employees & volunteers)

6. OUR BACKGROUND Support: From 1992-2000 – primary support from UNHCR, MoI CR From 2000 • European Commission, European Social Fund, European Integration fund, European Refugee Fund • Ministries, Embassies, Prague City Hall • Open Society Fund, CEE Trust& other foundations Member of: CR - Consortium of Organizations Working with Migrants, FoRS Intl – SCEP, UNITED, PICUM, ENAR, Migreurop

7. OUR TARGET GROUPS Allmigrantsirrespectiveoftheirlegalstatus– TNCs and EU citizens • asylumseekers • recognisedrefugees&subsidiaryprotectionholders • legallystayingforeigners • irregularmigrants • familymembersofforeigners Number of supported persons: 1315 Interventions: • 7401in the office • 1472in the field

8. OURACTIVITIES • Legal and social counseling– free of charge • Psychosocial assistance– vulnerable • Monitoring/lobbying/legislative activities • Multicultural events - evenings, concerts • Raising awareness activities – media, seminars, conferences, lectures at schools, festivals • Publications– irregular migration/regularisation, detention centres, legislative comments, impact of the crisis, guide for immigrants

9. LEGAL COUNSELLING • Asylum law – asylum procedure • Immigration law – visa/residence, nationality, returns • Labor law – work contracts, unlawful acts of employers, rights and duties under labour code • Civil and family law – marriage, divorce, care of children • Commercial law– entrepreneurs, companies • Socialsecurity • Criminallawwithrelation to the immigration

10. SOCIAL COUNSELLING Assistanceaims to enhance integration of immigrants and their ability to be independent • Basic cultural &institutional orientation • Employment – job search, practical, requalification • Accommodation • Healthcare • Social security & social benefits • Education – recognition of qualifications • Accompanying or contact to institutions and services • Individual assistance of volunteers • Material help

11. FOCUS ON WOMEN • Vulnerability – double discrimination • Migrant status – limited access to rights • Gender issues – matching work with family life, domestic violence, harrassment • Psychosocial assistance • Counselling in separated room • Babysitting during the courses • Special campaigns • Pregnant immigrant women • Domestic workers • Therapeuticalwomens’ groups (past)

12. ADVOCACY & LEGISLATION • Comments to the asylum & immigration law amendments • Legislative initiatives • Monitoring & legal analyses • Press conferences, open letters, happenings Membership: • Council for Human Rights & Committee for Rights of Aliens • Consortium of NGOs working with immigrants • International networks & platforms Projects: • Regularisation of irregular migration (Norway funds, ESF) • Why should they stay left beyond? (Equal) • DEVAS – AS & UDMs in detention centres (EC)

13. 2. Project NGOs and labour migration

14. BASIC INFORMATION • ESF (OP Human Ressources & Employment) • 2 years (1 Jan 2011 – 31 Dec 2012) • 3 NGOs – international cooperation • AIM (CZ) • SOLIM (PT) • ZeMIT (AT) • 7 project members • 13 activities

15. OBJECTIVES General: • Promote social integration of labour migrants, incl. domestic workers • Strengthen the role of NGOs in this field Concrete: • Enhance better access of foreigners to the labour market • Prevent them from painful forms of social exclusion • Contribute to the settlement of distorted labour market • Establish an effective cooperation with labouroffices • Proposesystematic and partialchangesin legislative as well as in practice • Raise awareness about situation of domestic workers

16. ROLE OF NGOs - CONTEXT • Position of Czech NGOs much weaker • AT – support of Labour Office • PT – strong network of immigrants • CZ – state bodies consider NGOs as trouble makers despite their expertise • Good practice – NGO as an intermediairy between the state and immigrants • AT – direct counselling at the AMS • PT – CNAI and socio-cultural mediators • CZ – exchange of information to be transformed

17. INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION Transfer directly the good practice examples from partner countries into the Czech environment in the area of social integration of foreigners at the legal market Apply foreign experience to similar measures in the Czech Republic NGOs in cooperation generate the pressure for the change of legislative regulations in the area of migration policy

18. 3. Domestic workers

19. DOMESTIC WORK IN THE CR It is an issue even though hidden Illegal employment of domestic workers is generally tolerated by • Czech society – economically beneficial, influence of former regime • immigrant women – immediate job & money Not surveyed field – challenge to identify problems • ignorance of the rights and duties • isolation constraints the access to NGOs’ services • unpaid salary, immediate dismissals • limited access to healthcare, no social benefits • if undocumented – fear of denounciation

20. PROJECT ACTIVITIES • Collection and exchangeofinformation • SOLIM – project GAMI, ComuniDaria • Foreign campaigns • PICUM – report from workshop • Share of practices • Seminars & Internshipsabroadwithroundtables • Networking – ComuniDaria • Free of charge legal and social counselling with the emphasis on labour-law and domestic work • Seminarsfortargetgroup • Internet accessfree ofcharge

21. CAMPAIGN Pre-phase: • Medialisation – ILO Convention • Focus group • Brainstorming with SOLIM and Comunidaria Campaign: • Leaflets – illegal work, rights and duties, our contacts • Social spots – immigrants, public

22. PERSPECTIVES • Attract immigrants – domestic workers to our services • Develop contacts with employers • Pressure on the Czech state to ratify the ILO convention • Raise awareness of the public • Widen the international networking – EWL • New project with in-depth research and advocacy work

23. This document was created under the project "Increasing the role of NGOs in the social integration of labour migrants in the Czech Republic", financed by the European Social Fund through the Operational Program Human Resources and Employment and the Czech Republic state budget. The project is implemented by the Association for Integration and Migration. International project partners are Solidariedade Imigrante and Zentrum für MigrantInnen Tirol. THANK YOU!