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Ten Point Plan of Action for Refugee Protection and Mixed Migration. ‘Protection-Sensitive Entry Systems’: Good Practices in Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine Kate Pooler Regional Protection Officer UNHCR Kyiv 8 April 2009. Rationale of the Ten Point Plan.
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Ten Point Plan of Action for Refugee Protection and Mixed Migration ‘Protection-Sensitive Entry Systems’: Good Practices in Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine Kate Pooler Regional Protection Officer UNHCR Kyiv 8 April 2009
Rationale of the Ten Point Plan • To ensure that persons in need of international protection within broader mixed migratory movements are identified and provided with an appropriate response • Intersection of refugee and migratory movements: - mixed and irregular movements comprise those in need of protection and those not; - refugee movement becomes migratory; - mixed motivations among those migrating; - onward movement of refugees who face protection concerns in countries of asylum; - changes in countries of origin that may create refugees sur place
Nature of the Ten Point Plan • Comprehensive: protection objectives will only be achieved if incorporated within broader migration strategy, recognises need for border control and proposes ideas on how to address protection in a migration strategy • Cooperative: partnership among governments, international and national governmental organisations, NGOs, civil society – Soderkoping, IOM-UNHCR partnership, EC programes • Regional: involving countries of origin, transit and destination.
The Ten Point Plan: a checklist for action • Cooperation among key partners; • Data collection and analysis • Protection-sensitive entry systems; • Reception arrangements; • Mechanisms for profiling and referral; • Differentiated processes and procedures; • Solutions for refugees; • Addressing secondary movements; • Return arrangements for non-refugees and alternative migration options; • Information strategy.
Implementation of RPSP and the Ten Point Plan: Specific activities 2009-2011 • 10PP will serve as checklist to assist in developing activities • Analysis of the 10PP by stakeholders: highlight priorities among all points • Concrete plans for targeted locations • Wider awareness of 10PP and use in public information materials
Protection-sensitive entry systems: Examples of good practice in Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine
Protection-sensitive entry mechanisms • Border and detention/reception monitoring (role of NGOs and cross-border cooperation), including in readmission • Advocacy to release asylum-seekers from detention • Interpretation • Access to information • Capacity building and training of border authorities and legal counsellors • Training of NGOs on early identification of asylum seekers and persons with special needs
1) Communicating protection obligations to entry officials • Instruction on work with asylum seekers included in 2006 in Belarus Border Guard internal manual • Joint Instruction SCNR/SBGS on handover of asylum applications 2004 in Ukraine • Training provided to SBC staff in all regions of Belarus under the AENAES Border Monitoring Project funded by the EC • Training sessions for border officials in 2008 in Moldova • Joint training of border officials and judiciary in western Ukraine in 2008 on protection/human rights in the expulsion process
2) Establishing a dialogue between entry officials and humanitarian actors • Memorandum of Understanding signed by UNHCR, IOM, SBC and NGOs in 2007 • Inter-agency meetings and plan of action established in western Ukraine 2007-2009 • ECRE project in eastern Ukraine for NGOs to hold meetings with border officials and to provide information and leaflets
3) Assisting entry officials to identify and refer asylum seekers to the responsible authority • Standard operating procedures for NGOs in the region to register and identify protection concerns and specific needs • Various explanatory leaflets for border officials and for asylum seekers
4) Ensuring cross-border cooperation on protection • Söderköping Process: ten countries cross-border cooperation on asylum, migration and border management • Cross-border study visits to Slovakia, Ukraine and Poland under the EC-funded border monitoring project in Belarus • GDISC/ERIT project in Ukraine involves governments from three neighbouring EU MS in exchange of experience
5) Setting up independent monitoring systems • Use of the readmission interview form and information-sharing protocol among NGOs in Belarus, Hungary, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Ukraine. • Observatory Mechanism under the EC-funded GUMIRA project in Moldova and Ukraine 2009-2010 • Independent monitoring outlined in the Belarus MOU • EC-funded ECRE return monitoring project will include training of NGOs, payment for additional staff and small grants.
Continuing to exchange examples of good practice in Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine - Maintaining and updating document on point 3 - Collection of good practice under other points of the 10PP