tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36984524387040071352024-03-06T00:33:23.116+01:00EASO MonitorFollowing the European Asylum Support Office (EASO), by aditus foundation, a Malta-based human rights NGO.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232773481116520546noreply@blogger.comBlogger329125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3698452438704007135.post-71264000424149012252016-05-27T15:40:00.000+02:002016-05-27T20:14:21.341+02:00Commission Proposes EASO Reform<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<![endif]--><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">In order to discuss the latest proposal for
reform of EASO, it is necessary to first give a brief recap of the Agency’s
origins and previous functions. EASO was established by the EU institutions in
May 2010 via <a href="http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=URISERV%3Ajl0022" target="_blank">Regulation 439/2010</a>, and has been in operation since 2011. </span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8zWKsm2slAKhh2_Lgh7DX0y3hk3cOdfBkWWV5gE-OEXDCsu7ZwMb5Jk8ek_rhXc53q6_N_DoAuc05S-yWJZM-tlARyNuuxokOFo0vr-eb36tXK17SlH2IX62yM3fRjJvc1A3aZUmantY/s1600/X26CGBrQ_200x200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8zWKsm2slAKhh2_Lgh7DX0y3hk3cOdfBkWWV5gE-OEXDCsu7ZwMb5Jk8ek_rhXc53q6_N_DoAuc05S-yWJZM-tlARyNuuxokOFo0vr-eb36tXK17SlH2IX62yM3fRjJvc1A3aZUmantY/s1600/X26CGBrQ_200x200.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Originally, the activities of EASO mainly
focused on information gathering and exchange, encouraging and facilitating
cooperation between the Member States as well as supporting the proper
functioning of the Common European Asylum System (CEAS) in general. EASO
fostered training and development regarding aspects of asylum and was able to
provide extra assistance for Member States in need when their systems faced
particular pressure – only when help was asked for.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Its practical functions aimed at increasing
convergence between the Member States’ policies on asylum, mainly through this gathering
and sharing of information. Its powers were limited to a degree as it had no
power to affect decisions taken by Member States on particular cases of asylum,
as is specifically mentioned in the original Regulation, and its involvement in
this aspect of the procedures was little to none.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">There was a clear emphasis on the independence
of the Agency. It was to supply information and provide support in a
transparent and unbiased way and be diligent in the performance of all duties.
Yet it was also criticised for appearing to be too close to the Management
Board, composed primarily of Member State representatives. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Though the role played by EASO has been
analysed and criticised since its inception (for example: how transparent is
it? What does it actually do? How does its work actually help in practice?);
the final nail in the coffin, so to speak, came with the current refugee crisis.
Due to the large numbers of refugees entering Europe, mainly through Italy and
Greece, some questioned whether CEAS was beginning to collapse. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDvRXhAZA6uWdDmQRcwm8CJTlbOOfkNHLcJhCfZjtKfDh87vS3fLRWmHBgb2xiq3nc5m2ChyKIVAbyytfL7xcIMtpFU13djSfWKG0SLa5cwprXxs06u9BoX6JSw4in5scQPBhzNlt6D3Y/s1600/CEAS.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDvRXhAZA6uWdDmQRcwm8CJTlbOOfkNHLcJhCfZjtKfDh87vS3fLRWmHBgb2xiq3nc5m2ChyKIVAbyytfL7xcIMtpFU13djSfWKG0SLa5cwprXxs06u9BoX6JSw4in5scQPBhzNlt6D3Y/s320/CEAS.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">The first casualty was the Dublin Regulation,
followed by the suspension of Schengen. In the midst of the early days of the
massive refugee flows in Greece and Italy, we weren’t quite sure where EASO
was or what it was doing. It was at this time of intense asylum pressure that we
were all surprised at the <a href="http://www.politico.eu/article/european-asylum-support-office-agency-loses-director-robert-visser-migration-refugees/" target="_blank">departure announcement</a></span><span class="MsoCommentReference"><span style="font-size: 9.0pt;"><span style="mso-special-character: comment;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">of Dr. Robert Visser,
then EASO’s Executive Director. Depending on your perspective, the timing was
either unfortunate or perfect. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">EASO continued to provide COI, gather data and
carry on with its business, yet it became increasingly obvious that the
pressure needing attention was of a more practical nature, owing to the sheer
number of people requiring to be received and processed under the CEAS. The
crisis emphasised the weaknesses of the CEAS in dealing with the several
challenges presented by the Italy and Greece situations, further exacerbated by
<a href="http://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/europe/un-condemns-hungary-s-treatment-of-asylum-seekers-1.2647115" target="_blank">rising tensions
in other Member State</a></span><a href="http://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/europe/un-condemns-hungary-s-treatment-of-asylum-seekers-1.2647115" target="_blank"><span class="MsoCommentReference"><span style="font-size: 9.0pt;"></span></span></a><a class="msocomanchor" href="https://www.blogger.com/null" id="_anchor_2" name="_msoanchor_2"></a><span style="mso-special-character: comment;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"><a href="http://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/europe/un-condemns-hungary-s-treatment-of-asylum-seekers-1.2647115" target="_blank">(such as Hungary)</a> and the
increasingly negative discourse and approaches seen all over the continent.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Part of the response has been a revisiting of
the drawing board to look at the CEAS, and possibly revise it. Frans
Timmermans, First Vice-President of the European Commission, </span><span class="MsoCommentReference"><span style="font-size: 9.0pt;"><a class="msocomanchor" href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3698452438704007135#_msocom_3" id="_anchor_3" name="_msoanchor_3"></a><span style="mso-special-character: comment;"></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">has stated that <a href="http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-16-1620_en.htm" target="_blank">“managing migration better requires actionon several fronts”,</a> and one of these fronts is EASO.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">On May 4<sup>th</sup> 2016, the Commission
issued a <a href="http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-16-1620_en.htm" target="_blank">press release</a>
entitled <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Towards a sustainable and fair
Common European Asylum System”</i>, wherein it </span><span class="MsoCommentReference"><span style="font-size: 9.0pt;"><a class="msocomanchor" href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3698452438704007135#_msocom_4" id="_anchor_4" name="_msoanchor_4"></a><span style="mso-special-character: comment;"></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">explained the idea
behind the accompanying reform proposals. The press release focused on the need
for changes, improvements, more efficiency and fairer processes throughout the
Member States. This post will not explore the entire document, but focus on the
EASO-related proposals. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhck_HdkQpNhdj-kb0rtRuHaBRXc4qUoh3H9gDWz89alNxwhGIZd6Q3uhtNBk0MVYN8-NYvdg99OWqFLCS0nAyXo1_9n226X1HX08hku0omxwwEWc_RduQe-MBLLa_nQOHOqn_zqku7njk/s1600/logo_en.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="111" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhck_HdkQpNhdj-kb0rtRuHaBRXc4qUoh3H9gDWz89alNxwhGIZd6Q3uhtNBk0MVYN8-NYvdg99OWqFLCS0nAyXo1_9n226X1HX08hku0omxwwEWc_RduQe-MBLLa_nQOHOqn_zqku7njk/s320/logo_en.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">The proposed reform of EASO, as suggested by
the Commission, essentially involves giving the Agency a much greater role to
play in the context of the CEAS, including participation in the reformed Dublin
procedure and the reformed EURODAC system on collecting data. <a href="http://eulawanalysis.blogspot.nl/2016/05/the-orbanisation-of-eu-asylum-law.html" target="_blank">Parallels have been drawn by Steve Peers</a> between EASO’s expansion and the development of
the European Border Guard</span><span class="MsoCommentReference"><span style="font-size: 9.0pt;"><span style="mso-special-character: comment;"></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">. Again, the goals seem
to be greater convergence, cooperation and assistance, aided by a proposed
budget of a little under €365 million for the period 2017-2020, and a staff
increase from 150 people to roughly 500. The proposals highlight the Commission’s
intention to expand EASO’s role, especially in terms of actual operational and
technical assistance in times of increased challenges to particular Member
States.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">All of these reform proposals are supplemented
by a proposed change to EASO’s name, to become the European Union Agency for
Asylum. This might finally eliminate Google’s confusion with the European
Association for the Study of Obesity, also EASO!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Should the proposals be accepted, the Agency
will be actively involved in several specific areas of the CEAS, including the
operation of the reference key implemented through the Dublin Reform, and
practical participation in the EURODAC system by taking fingerprints,
collecting and processing personal data. Though the Commission claims that all proposed <a href="http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/home-affairs/what-we-do/policies/european-agenda-migration/proposal-implementation-package/docs/20160504/easo_proposal_en.pdf" target="_blank">reforms are said </a></span><a href="http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/home-affairs/what-we-do/policies/european-agenda-migration/proposal-implementation-package/docs/20160504/easo_proposal_en.pdf" target="_blank"><span class="MsoCommentReference"><span style="font-size: 9.0pt;"></span></span></a><a class="msocomanchor" href="https://www.blogger.com/null" id="_anchor_6" name="_msoanchor_6"></a><span style="mso-special-character: comment;"></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"><a href="http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/home-affairs/what-we-do/policies/european-agenda-migration/proposal-implementation-package/docs/20160504/easo_proposal_en.pdf" target="_blank">to be compliant</a> with
the<a href="http://www.europarl.europa.eu/charter/pdf/text_en.pdf" target="_blank"> Charter of Fundamental Rights</a></span><span class="MsoCommentReference"><span style="font-size: 9.0pt;"><a class="msocomanchor" href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3698452438704007135#_msocom_7" id="_anchor_7" name="_msoanchor_7"></a><span style="mso-special-character: comment;"></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">, this last reform proposal
on the expansion of access to and processing of personal data might be a little
at odds with Article 8 of the Charter. This Article ensures the protection of
personal data yet through this new proposal, there is a significant increase in
the data to be collected, stored and shared. The new rules apply to children as
young as six years old and the information collected includes fingerprints,
facial images, names, nationalities, details of birth, and all information
relating to their asylum applications, relocation and removal. The information
may be shared with third countries and the retention of this information has
been increased for irregular border crossers and migrants from 18 months to
five years. If these new rules are not wholly compatible with Article 8 of the
Charter, this would mean that EASO, through its new tasks, would be violating
this right. There is also the issue that, whilst EASO presently cannot be
directly involved with the asylum processing and decision-making at national
level, the proposals envisage a role for EASO in the early steps of application
processing. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">There are also a number of other proposed
changes which deal with the relationship between the Agency and the Member
States. Presently, the role played by the Member States regarding exchange of
information is voluntary. Under the proposals, there is an obligation on Member
States to cooperate with the Agency and to exchange information. While this
duty may be considered a little harsh due to the forced cooperation</span><span class="MsoCommentReference"><span style="font-size: 9.0pt;"><a class="msocomanchor" href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3698452438704007135#_msocom_8" id="_anchor_8" name="_msoanchor_8"></a><span style="mso-special-character: comment;"></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">, the Commission claims
that this is necessary in order to achieve better convergence and also is in
line with the principle of subsidiarity. The crisis showed that the Member
States’ actions alone were not sufficient to prevent or deal with the crisis,
hence the need for the EU level action.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Presently, EASO gathers information regarding
COI and safe third countries and publishes general analysis and guidance. Under
the proposed reform this function will be boosted, allowing the Agency to
regularly review a Member State’s list of safe third countries, give
information on countries that a Member State wishes to add to the list, and
develop specific guidelines for best practices for the implementation of the
CEAS. Essentially, in addition to the ability to support all aspects of the
CEAS, the Agency will be able to provide specific advice tailored for individual
Member States.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">A much-needed improvement deals with EASO
aiding Member States under pressure. Firstly, an expanded and comprehensive set
of both operational and technical measures to give this assistance is being
proposed. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Secondly, under the proposals the Agency will
not have to wait for a Member State’s request for assistance. Although this
request will still be an available option, the Agency would be able to provide
practical support on its own initiative using an own initiative proposal. If
this support proposal is rejected by the Member State, there will be the option
for the Commission to intervene and force the assistance through the use of an
implementing act. This promises to be a crucial change as it will allow the
Agency to provide much more practical help, without having to rely on Member States’
requests for aid. From our end, we hope that this tool would also be used by
EASO, and the Commission, to intervene in those situations where asylum-seekers
or refugees are facing infringements of their fundamental or CEAS rights due to
the inability or unwillingness of the Member State to effectively and
efficiently handle a crisis or difficult situation.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyldB48r3WsuIpw-9U2j02NOBIGLq7ZE7P8u1J1iUeEL7ld9HxKMcylSBhJovfcSp5jkOZmASSrhl4XBsl5KVo4ewbda3Cf8p7AO322osOWJS0T1jqxncj6wb-xLWBUMEnu6GH-KHVNro/s1600/738+itok%253DQwWOP8_p.jpe" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyldB48r3WsuIpw-9U2j02NOBIGLq7ZE7P8u1J1iUeEL7ld9HxKMcylSBhJovfcSp5jkOZmASSrhl4XBsl5KVo4ewbda3Cf8p7AO322osOWJS0T1jqxncj6wb-xLWBUMEnu6GH-KHVNro/s320/738+itok%253DQwWOP8_p.jpe" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Although these proposals are still relatively
fresh and have been referred to as the “<a href="http://eulawanalysis.blogspot.nl/2016/05/the-orbanisation-of-eu-asylum-law.html" target="_blank">least contentious</a></span><span class="MsoCommentReference"><span style="font-size: 9.0pt;"><span style="mso-special-character: comment;"></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">” of the stream of
reform proposals released by the Commission, criticism and scepticism are already
beginning to emerge. <a href="http://www.thenewfederalist.eu/a-ray-of-hope-in-eu-migration-policy" target="_blank">The New </a></span><a href="http://www.thenewfederalist.eu/a-ray-of-hope-in-eu-migration-policy" target="_blank"><span class="MsoCommentReference"><span style="font-size: 9.0pt;"></span></span></a><a class="msocomanchor" href="https://www.blogger.com/null" id="_anchor_10" name="_msoanchor_10"></a><span style="mso-special-character: comment;"></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"><a href="http://www.thenewfederalist.eu/a-ray-of-hope-in-eu-migration-policy" target="_blank">Federalist</a> points out that even currently, EASO is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“facing persistent difficulties to receive
sufficient personnel from the Member States”</i>, leading to the conclusion
that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“it remains unclear how the European
Commission intends to increase Member State’s motivation to contribute to the
CEAS”</i>. Whilst this is a fair and valid observation, we also underline the
importance of moving away from the emergency mind-set, based on reactive and
short-term policies, to a more regular approach to asylum that focuses on
processing applications in a way that is fair, effective and efficient. The current
situation highlights the difficulties faced (or posed) by many Member States in
complying with even the most basic norms of international refugee law, and of
CEAS. We remain hopeful and optimistic that a stronger EASO, capable of prompt,
efficient and targeted interventions remains a key component in the overall
search for immediate as well as long-term solutions.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Do these proposals address any of the previous criticisms
of the Agency? Certainly, the Agency’s recent activities in Italy and Greece
practical effects of the Agency’s help should be seen through work in the
Member States. However, it still doesn’t really deal with the issue of
transparency, as mentioned before. EASO’s previous reports on their activities
seemed to merely be a collection of points that did not really give a proper
insight into what they actually did year to year. While they will be obliged to
report to the Commission annually, with a view to spotting problems early and
improving the quality of their functions, this is not a guarantee that the
reports made by the Agency will be much of an improvement on those which came
before. One can hope that with the overhaul and symbolic name changes that this
aspect will change also. EASO does seem to be working towards improving transparency, as can be seen by the<a href="http://easomonitor.blogspot.nl/2016/04/easo-expands-access-to-country-of.html" target="_blank"> expansion of access</a> to the COI
portal.</span><span class="MsoCommentReference"><span style="font-size: 9.0pt;"><a class="msocomanchor" href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3698452438704007135#_msocom_11" id="_anchor_11" name="_msoanchor_11"></a><span style="mso-special-character: comment;"></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">It is excellent to see that the Commission recognises the
need for change and is really attempting to ease the present burden and prevent
future burden through its new proposals. Whether or not these will be
sufficient or effective remains to be seen but before that analysis can begin,
these proposals must first be adopted and implemented.</span><span class="MsoCommentReference"><span style="font-size: 9.0pt;"><span style="mso-special-character: comment;"></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09131023870456374128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3698452438704007135.post-89128268195944612402016-05-24T16:18:00.000+02:002016-05-24T16:58:07.303+02:00EASO EU and Global Asylum-Related Migration Research Conference Report<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">On 16 May 2016 EASO held its Asylum-Related Migration Research Conference. This conference presented the efforts of the </span><a href="https://www.easo.europa.eu/" style="line-height: 1.38; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">European Asylum Support Office</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> itself as well as efforts by various other agencies in conducting research aimed at ensuring constructive and evidence-based policies related to migration. The result is a comprehensive overview of research and research-based modelling related to migration, and in particular asylum-related migration, presented below.</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.easo.europa.eu/"><img border="0" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixERVExUc-lW12rX6KIA3p_GA6730eAnQmvEBAiyYevgtpN2Kwbkl_n0MvWnaPQIp3yskFG3bPal37uKwingxw0PjjV2vhl0DEpYp_2Eb84-IeUotRFCbnzL7_6E5fDRzwizh-f8aRiA8I/s200/easo-logo.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Session 1</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Introduction:</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The conference was introduced by a presentation of the EASO’s work and the context of asylum in the EU. The framework set by the </span><a href="http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/home-affairs/what-we-do/policies/asylum/index_en.htm" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Common European Asylum System</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> is an imperative consideration in this regard. </span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">EASO’s function is to ensure coherent implementation of the CEAS as well as to provide evidence-based policy input to the EU in order to safeguard the common practices of all Member States in relation to asylum policy.</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">EASO have set out three research aims to strive for in the immediate future, namely to conduct better research into the functioning of current migration law in Europe; to provide better support to policy developers on the basis of this; and to be able to give better advice in relation to asylum law in practice. This conference is the beginning of EASO’s ambitious objectives of strengthening its role as a support provider under the CEAS.</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">EASO’s research:</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The <a href="https://www.easo.europa.eu/information-analysis/research-programme">research conducted by EASO</a> has been concentrated into four clusters. These focus firstly on review of what is currently known in the area of migration and asylum. Secondly, the carrying out of empirical work by collecting data in order to analyse this field. Thirdly, the creation of models and tools in order to better streamline their work of improving the functioning of migration and asylum policies in Europe. Fourthly, to develop supervisory tools allowing the tracking of information sources.</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The EU’s research:</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The EU has arranged a number of conferences as well as policy review sessions, and has issued several publications addressing its priorities regarding migration research under its </span><a href="https://ec.europa.eu/programmes/horizon2020/en/what-horizon-2020" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Horizon 2020</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> research programme. This focus on giving research a key role in the creation of new programmes has led to the emergence of a number of initiatives. One such key initiative is the </span><a href="http://ec.europa.eu/euraxess/index.cfm/jobs/science4refugees" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Science4Refugees</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> programme, which ‘matches talented refugees and asylum seekers who have a scientific background with positions in universities and research institutions’. Further, the EU’s </span><a href="http://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/data/ref/h2020/wp/2016_2017/main/h2020-wp1617-intro_en.pdf" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Work Programme for 2016-2017</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, developed under the Horizon 2020 scheme, has set out several goals concerning the EU’s policies regarding migration. One area of policy development, entitled ‘A Stronger Global Actor’, aims, as the name suggests, to strengthen the EU’s position in a global context through ‘international cooperation calls and targeted initiatives relating to societal challenges’. Another area has been entitled ‘Towards a New Policy on Migration’. This policy area encourages the carrying out of research related to the origins of migration, and will, through evidence-based research, provide recommendations relating to ‘insights on migration, humanitarian assistance and development cooperation policies.’</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The </span><a href="http://ec.europa.eu/programmes/horizon2020/sites/horizon2020/files/SC6-Advisory-Group%20report%20for%202016-2017.pdf" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Societal Challenge 6</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> was also borne from the Horizon 2020 scheme. This programme, bearing the subheading ‘Europe in a changing world – inclusive, innovative and reflective societies’, aims to ‘to foster greater understanding of a culturally and socially rich and diverse Europe’ and ‘to enhance understanding of societal conditions, to ensure transformative and structural changes take account of these in promoting future prosperity, well-being and cohesion’ through its research-based recommendations provided to the European Commission. An Expert Advisory Group on Societal Challenge 6 </span><a href="http://ec.europa.eu/transparency/regexpert/index.cfm?do=groupDetail.groupDetailDoc&id=22609&no=1" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">met in February 2016</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> in order to further these aims, discussing, among other things, its research agenda as well as its role and objectives. </span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Some useful links to explore these issues further:</span></div>
<ul style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<a href="https://ec.europa.eu/research/social-sciences/index.cfm?pg=policies&policyname=migration-mobility" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Migration Research Platform</span></a></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<a href="https://ec.europa.eu/research/social-sciences/pdf/policy_reviews/ki-04-15-841_en_n.pdf" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Policy Review - Research on Migration: Facing Realities and Maximising Opportunities</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
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<a href="http://ec.europa.eu/research/social-sciences/pdf/project_synopses/ki-na-27-592-en.pdf" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Publication - Research & Innovation Projects in support to European Policy - Migration and Mobility</span></a></div>
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<a href="https://ec.europa.eu/research/conferences/2016/migration-challenge/index.cfm" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">International Conference - Understanding and Tackling the Migration Challenge: The Role of Research</span></a></div>
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<a href="http://ec.europa.eu/research/social-sciences/index.cfm?pg=newspage&item=150925" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Workshop on Migration: Research and Innovation</span></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Session 2</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The IOM:</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The </span><a href="http://www.iom.int/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">International Organization for Migration</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> (IOM) </span><a href="http://www.iom.int/about-iom" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">provides assistance in four different areas of migration management</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, namely migration and development; facilitating migration; regulating migration; and forced migration. The IOM opened their </span><a href="http://iomgmdac.org/about-gmdac/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Global Migration Data Analysis Centre</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> (GMDAC) in Berlin in 2015. This centre aims to provide data on global migration issues in order to aid the development of effective migration policies. Through the provision of analysis of such issues, the GMDAC aims to enhance the IOM’s efforts in building the data capacities of the EU, as well as promote a better understanding of migration data and its usage. Further, the IOM was commission by EASO to conduct a literature review regarding the push and pull factors of asylum-related migration. The conclusion was that there is a relative consensus that socio-economic as well as political factors play a large role in determining the draw of certain groups of migrants to certain states. However, there is a divergence on issues such as demographic variables; historical, cultural and geographic factors; and environmental factors.</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.iom.int/"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg10P_zZ_w1UK8w4513ziKF4C5RAGOLRgAyeNyMEqHD8ZlEX45mknteGlf5-l6YpybTlQGpJ0h58uKQon8j12jxsv_-ZBMEubaj4acFf4l_cgDIeC9nh9MPFBBsZk0EBGqQAMYQkUx4M6ot/s200/IOM-Logo.jpg" width="185" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">UN research:</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The </span><a href="http://www.unhcr.org/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">UNHCR</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">’s </span><a href="http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/search?page=&comid=4a1d3be46&cid=49aea93a6a&scid=49aea93a3b" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">New Issues in Refugee Research</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> has published 278 papers since 1949, providing a comprehensive overview of research concerning refugees. The UNHCR has highlighted the importance of allowing refugees themselves to formulate the research agenda, in order for the research to best reflect the issues faced by refugees themselves. Further, the interpretation and presentation of data by journalists has been called into question by the UNHCR, as this has often been done without the scientific insight required in order to adequately present the findings of this research. Collecting data and capturing how to apply it operationally demands a particular understanding of the data and its relevance. Because of this, the journalistic presentation of data relating to asylum seekers and migrants is often somewhat distorted.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Session 3</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Migration modelling:</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Current migration modelling focuses on both net migration and individual flows on migrants. Consideration must be made to measurement of these flows, theories regarding them, and forecasts of future migratory flows. Perhaps unsurprisingly, no single model has been deemed conclusively superior. However, migration models are useful in predicting migratory flows through certain forecasting measures, and, consequently, to develop policies on the basis of this, e.g. through impact assessment, etc.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The </span><a href="https://ec.europa.eu/research/social-sciences/index.cfm?pg=migration-taskforce" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Task Force on Migration</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> was set up in 2016 in order to strengthen support to the European Commission in managing migration. This is also adjoined to the Horizon 2020 scheme, and is a part of the </span><a href="http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/home-affairs/what-we-do/policies/european-agenda-migration/index_en.htm" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">European Agenda on Migration</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In order to facilitate the further advancement of these objectives, the Knowledge Centre on Migration and Demography will be opened in Brussels on 20 June 2016. Internal stakeholders in this launch are the </span><a href="http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/home-affairs/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Directorate-General (DG) for Migration and Home Affairs</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, </span><a href="http://ec.europa.eu/echo/index_en" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">DG Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, </span><a href="http://ec.europa.eu/research/index.cfm?pg=dg" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">DG Research and Innovation</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, and the </span><a href="http://ec.europa.eu/epsc/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">European Political Strategy Centre</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. External stakeholders are the </span><a href="http://www.iiasa.ac.at/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, and the IOM, mentioned above. This centre will function as an information hub providing ‘continuous situational awareness on migration’, and will focus on socio-economic modelling, as well as qualitative and quantitative analysis, in order to improve our understanding of different factors in the integration of migrants, and the impact of migration on the EU. This will in turn provide foresight into the development of migration.</span></div>
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<a href="https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/en/rhomolo" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The RHOMOLO model</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> is another important point of consideration. RHOMOLO is the ‘dynamic spatial general equilibrium model’ employed by the European Commission’s </span><a href="https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Joint Research Centre</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. This model analyses policies relating to, among others, migration. Issues such as labour market participation, unemployment, educational, and wages are considered in order to determine integration levels. The preliminary results of the RHOMOLO model is that high levels of expenditure on integration leads to the furthering of economic growth. In order for the EU to fully exploit the benefits of migration, it must develop a deeper knowledge and understanding of how to facilitate integration. Evidence-based research, of all the types presented above, leads to the enhancement of the EU’s capability in implementing better policies concerning migration and integration, which in turn facilitates economic growth and a better functioning of the labour market.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Session 4</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Fundamental Rights Agency:</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The EU’s </span><a href="http://fra.europa.eu/en" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Fundamental Rights Agency</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">’s (FRA) mandate is to provide assistance and expertise on issues related to fundamental rights in the EU. In an effort to improve their capability of doing this effectively, FRA has conducted several surveys of migrants and ethnic minorities in order to collect reliable and comprehensive data on these matters. This include their </span><a href="http://fra.europa.eu/en/project/2011/eu-midis-european-union-minorities-and-discrimination-survey" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">minorities and discrimination survey</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, in order to facilitate the creation of evidence-based policies addressing discriminatory practices and accordingly to improve support for victims of such discrimination. In also includes their </span><a href="http://fra.europa.eu/sites/default/files/fra_uploads/2099-FRA-2012-Roma-at-a-glance_EN.pdf" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Roma survey</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, which addresses issues faced specifically by the Roma community in several EU Member States, and their </span><a href="http://fra.europa.eu/en/publication/2013/discrimination-and-hate-crime-against-jews-eu-member-states-experiences-and" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">survey on discrimination and hate crime against Jewish people</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Additionally, FRA has published several works relating specifically to migration and asylum in the EU, such as their </span><a href="http://fra.europa.eu/sites/default/files/fra_uploads/fra-2016-opinion-safe-country-of-origin-01-2016_en.pdf" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Opinion concerning an EU common list of safe countries of origin</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, their </span><a href="http://fra.europa.eu/sites/default/files/handbook-law-asylum-migration-borders-2nded_en.pdf" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Handbook on European law relating to asylum, borders and immigration</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, their report regarding </span><a href="http://fra.europa.eu/sites/default/files/fra-2014-third-country-nationals-land-border-checks-summary_en.pdf" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">fundamental rights at the EU’s external borders</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, and their ‘toolbox’ regarding </span><a href="http://fra.europa.eu/sites/default/files/fra-focus_02-2015_legal-entry-to-the-eu.pdf" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">legal entry channels to the EU for persons in need of international protection</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span></div>
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<a href="http://fra.europa.eu/en"><img border="0" height="111" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinjHf8semmruQQFyZlA3LBSHeKHFW6vIYhCMgJ2UAmpvT9VaxvuSaxUcTw77OuPAPF2-EyxeXgC0DnFVUE0is5506629Ksps1h8F9v43ymDjUNxdMWUp6IUc8lrLT4EoC1b6Xfe9XyDHE-/s200/fralogo.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.migrationpolicy.org/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Migration Policy Institute</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> (MPI), part of </span><a href="http://www.eui.eu/Home.aspx" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">the European University Institute</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, has conducted comprehensive surveying of forced migration. Particular focus has been directed at Syria, with </span><a href="http://www.migrationpolicy.org/country-resource/syrian-arab-republic" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">a website</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> set up presenting all facts gathered and reports and policy briefs produced in one place, so as to provide an efficient overview.</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.migrationpolicycentre.eu/docs/mismes/REFMisMES-Study-description.pdf" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The REFMISMES Project</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> has been another point of focus. This project seeks to identify policies and practices which facilitate the integration of refugees into the labour market in a selection of EU Member States. Analyses have been conducted, as well as specific country case studies. The countries of focus have been Austria, Denmark, Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and the UK. The result is a comprehensive overview of issues as well as literature concerning labour market integration in these states.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The issue of smuggling has also been addressed by the MPI, with </span><a href="http://www.migrationpolicy.org/rss/taxonomy-term/3" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">a literature feed</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> having been set up, as well as </span><a href="http://www.migrationpolicy.org/research/human-smuggling-and-trafficking-europe-comparative-perspective" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">a comprehensive report</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> also having been produced and published.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Concluding remarks</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">EASO managed to compile and present an impressive overview of asylum-related research through this conference. The stated commitment to conduct research and review literature in this field will undoubtedly strengthen their ability to fulfil their mandate. Further, the UNHCR’s commitment to allowing refugees themselves to shape the research being conducted in this field is especially promising. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">However, the approach may be criticised for being too institutionalised. There is a clear absence of NGO-led research as well as research conducted in the academic sector, rendering this overview incomplete. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Allowing for a greater role for NGOs may better facilitate the inclusion of refugees in both the shaping and execution of research concerning asylum, and its use as a tool for advocacy may be strengthened. The wealth of information and data gathered, analysed and presented by NGOs is simply staggering and cannot be ignored, also because it presents perspectives that could be missing from the institutional approach to research. We appreciate the difficulty in mapping the extent of this research, yet encourage EASO to further liaise with the members of its Consultative Forum to see how best to tap into this valuable resource.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Additionally, whether this research is being used as a tool for constructing more evidence-based law or policies, or being used to formulate other strategies to better manage the current flow of refugees, is not made explicit. The exact effect and utilisation of the research presented is therefore still unclear. Nevertheless, it is impossible not to welcome this new approach as it is undoubtedly a step in the right direction.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232773481116520546noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3698452438704007135.post-9238242513128585292016-05-16T15:44:00.000+02:002016-05-16T15:44:25.169+02:00EASO EU and Global Asylum-Related Migration Research Conference <div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Today our team member Ingebjørg is participating at the <a href="https://easo.europa.eu/">European Asylum Support Office</a>’s EU and Global Asylum-Related Migration Research Conference in Malta. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Conference will examine EASO’s Research Programme on the push and pull factors of migration, Horizon 2020, research on forced migration globally, migration modelling, as well as the surveying of asylum seekers and refugees.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If you have any specific queries or issues you would like to have us raise during the event, just </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">get in touch with us</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Provisional Agenda:</span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Session 1: Research on forced migration in the EU</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">An Overview of EASO’s Research Programme will be provided by Marcello Carammia and Tim Cooper of EASO.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Presentation of the EU’s priorities on migration research under Horizon 2020 by Elisabeth Lipiatou from the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Research.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Session 2: Research on forced migration globally</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Presentation of International Organization for Migration (IOM)’s Research on Migration, and the Global Migration Data Analysis Centre by Frank Laczko of IOM/GMDAC.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Presentation of UNHCR’s Research on Refugees by Kimberly Roberson of the UNHCR.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Presentation of migration modelling by Jakub Bijak of the Centre for Population Change at the University of Southampton.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Presentation of the Joint Research Centre (JRC)’s Research on Migration Modelling by d’Artis Kancs of the European Commission’s DG Joint Research Centre.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Session 4: Surveying asylum seekers and refugees</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Presentation of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA)’s studies and surveys on migrants and ethnic minorities in the EU by David Reichel of FRA.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Surveying the issue of forced migration: Contributions of MPC to the understanding of a key challenge for Europe”, presentation by Justyna Salamońska of the Migration Policy Centre (MPC) and the European University Institute.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232773481116520546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3698452438704007135.post-90078556858088594522016-04-11T15:21:00.001+02:002016-04-11T15:29:26.202+02:00The Syrian refugee crisis: the end of the Common European Asylum System?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The European Union has endeavoured to streamline asylum policy throughout the Union through the creation of a </span><a href="http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/home-affairs/e-library/docs/ceas-fact-sheets/ceas_factsheet_en.pdf" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Common European Asylum System</a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">. This system is currently under great strain due to the </span><a href="http://data.unhcr.org/syrianrefugees/asylum.php" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">surge of refugees and migrants</a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> entering the territory of the European Union in large part due to the ongoing conflict in Syria. Consequently, discussions have taken place regarding the viability of the CEAS, with </span><a href="http://ecre.org/component/downloads/downloads/1038.html" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">some researchers</a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> deeming these discussions to have ‘dominated the EU agenda during 2014-2015’. Many have claimed that the operation of the CEAS is not viable. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-align: justify;">However, the magnitude of the current refugee crisis, and the consequent responses to it, demonstrate a pressing need for Union-wide operational instruments with regards to the reception and managing of asylum seekers and migrants. In other words, a Common European Asylum System is still imperative to the optimal functioning of the asylum systems in the EU Member States, albeit not in its in current state.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Perhaps the most significant part of the CEAS is the <a href="http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:32013R0604&from=EN">Dublin Regulation</a>, which stipulates that an asylum seeker must remain in the Member State in which they were initially registered in order to have their application processed. In 2010, 20 years after the implementation of the Dublin regime, the European Asylum Support Office <a href="http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32010R0439&from=EN">was established</a> in an attempt to ease such pressures. Its role was envisioned to ‘facilitate, coordinate and strengthen practical cooperation among Member States on the many aspects of asylum’ under the umbrella of the CEAS. However, in order to invoke the assistance of EASO a Member State must request it, and the costs of this assistance will be divided equally between the relevant Member State and EASO, drastically diminishing its appeal.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><b>The Syrian refugee crisis</b></b></span><br />
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Over 507,000 refugees from Syria <a href="http://data.unhcr.org/syrianrefugees/asylum.php">entered Europe between April 2011 and September 2015</a>. In 2014, Syrian refugees <a href="http://ecre.org/component/downloads/downloads/1038.html">represented nearly 20% of the total number of refugees</a> entering Europe. The routes of the refugees and migrants entering Europe are a requisite consideration in this regard. In 2014, approximately <a href="http://ecre.org/component/downloads/downloads/1038.html">219,000 migrants entered Europe</a> through one of the many Mediterranean sea routes. In 2015 this number <a href="http://data.unhcr.org/mediterranean/regional.php">had increased to over 690,000</a>, of which 53% were Syrians. The vast majority of those migrating <a href="http://data.unhcr.org/mediterranean/regional.php">through the sea routes</a> have arrived in Greece or Italy, but crucially, there has been a significant shift in the initial country of arrival: in 2014 the vast majority of arrivals by sea had <a href="http://ecre.org/component/downloads/downloads/1038.html">arrived in Italy</a>, whereas in 2015 over 548,000 of the stated 690,000 <a href="http://data.unhcr.org/mediterranean/regional.php">arrived in Greece</a>. This is a result of the <a href="http://ecre.org/component/downloads/downloads/1038.html">increase in the amount of Syrian refugees</a> arriving in Europe. As the Dublin Regulation provides that an asylum seeker must remain in the Member State in which they lodged their initial application, this has resulted in a particular strain on the reception of migrants and asylum seekers in these peripheral Member States.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrbCuerSf0Gk7iBDP4DT51DN0P85iU4-ChOdWyBe5SPsCbKranTGTGUqmt-FE_hS8pWrM-afNcrqJfdoW-nW4c1Z_MgD0TguRPKq6Hp7QOPxXerCkOEP16bxUtCp552pRNQvC8Wvwe-A5a/s1600/UNHCR-map.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrbCuerSf0Gk7iBDP4DT51DN0P85iU4-ChOdWyBe5SPsCbKranTGTGUqmt-FE_hS8pWrM-afNcrqJfdoW-nW4c1Z_MgD0TguRPKq6Hp7QOPxXerCkOEP16bxUtCp552pRNQvC8Wvwe-A5a/s320/UNHCR-map.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://data.unhcr.org/mediterranean/regional.php"><i>Source: UNHCR</i></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Article 17 of the <a href="http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:32013R0604&from=EN">Dublin III Regulation</a>, the ‘sovereignty clause’, provides that a Member State ‘may decide to examine an application’ should they wish to. In 2013, <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-24635791">Sweden became the first country</a> to announce they would offer permanent residency to any Syrian refugee who made it there. <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/germany-opens-its-gates-berlin-says-all-syrian-asylum-seekers-are-welcome-to-remain-as-britain-is-10470062.html">Germany announced in August of 2015</a> that they would derogate from the Dublin Regulation on the basis of the provision in Article 17 in relation to Syrian refugees. <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/sep/02/refugees-stranded-budapest-train-station-hungary">The Czech Republic shortly followed suit</a>, announcing they would not detain Syrians enroute to Germany. Germany did, however, rather quickly <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/23/world/europe/european-union-ministers-migrants-refugees.html">modify their announcement</a>, reinstating controls at German borders.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Both Italy and Greece <a href="https://easo.europa.eu/wp-content/uploads/20150513-Press-release-signing-of-the-SSP-2.pdf">have received support from EASO</a> in their efforts to cope in the current situation, and this provision of support has been renewed and extended following their initial commencement for both countries. Further, on 27 May 2015 <a href="http://eur-lex.europa.eu/resource.html?uri=cellar:7a15efe3-053d-11e5-8817-01aa75ed71a1.0001.02/DOC_1&format=PDF">the European Commission presented a legislative proposal</a> establishing certain provisional measures in order to aid Italy and Greece with regards to the reception of asylum seekers and migrants. This <a href="http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32015D1523&from=EN">was adopted in September of 2015</a>, and declared that 24 000 asylum applicants from Italy as well as 16 000 applicants from Greece would be relocated to other Member States. These provisions will apply until September 2017. This is arguably a step towards rectifying the inadequacies of the Dublin Regulation, but nevertheless constitutes a drop in the ocean, considering the total amount of Mediterranean refugees reached <a href="http://data.unhcr.org/mediterranean/regional.php">over 1,000,000 in 2015</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6mdEWiUTlT2IYyJNbfQWQDsqNxdwhpcsd_hZ2UlokUeYckUHgGBoh15stGsJghoMQhCmRa2DA1cGkhyg2svbYWyuelS_IvJbj7I8XcdPpMNh3oxFLb8IcQw3YZwoLyenWSdRmIW4Bgp9j/s1600/PR04_LESVOS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6mdEWiUTlT2IYyJNbfQWQDsqNxdwhpcsd_hZ2UlokUeYckUHgGBoh15stGsJghoMQhCmRa2DA1cGkhyg2svbYWyuelS_IvJbj7I8XcdPpMNh3oxFLb8IcQw3YZwoLyenWSdRmIW4Bgp9j/s320/PR04_LESVOS.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">EASO Director José Carreira in Lesvos</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://easo.europa.eu/news-events/"><i>Source: EASO</i></a></span></div>
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Also an important consideration in this regard are cases like <a href="http://hudoc.echr.coe.int/app/conversion/pdf/?library=ECHR&id=001-103050&filename=001-103050.pdf&TID=nubefaxeep"><i>M.S.S. </i>v. <i>Belgium and Greece</i></a> and <a href="http://hudoc.echr.coe.int/app/conversion/pdf/?library=ECHR&id=001-148070&filename=001-148070.pdf&TID=hgffdqytsr"><i>Tarakhel </i>v.<i> Switzerland</i></a>, brought before the European Court of Human Rights. These held that the return of refugees to certain countries, in spite of the state of legislation under the Dublin Regulation, may be halted on human rights grounds. Furthermore, these cases concerned the return of refugees to, respectively, Greece and Italy. This is a clear indicator that the law under the CEAS is not being adhered to. The cause of this appears to be the current organisation of the Dublin Regulation, as the level of burden-sharing is insufficient in order to manage such an extreme situation as the current migratory influx.</div>
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<b>The end of CEAS?</b></div>
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Policy harmonisation is not enough to ensure the functioning of CEAS. The fluctuation in the amount of asylum seekers and migrants, their countries of origin, and accordingly, their migratory routes is evident of this. Consequently, integration of asylum policies in the Member States of a rather large scope is required in order to ensure the success of CEAS. This, coupled with further measures ensuring a more equal distribution of the burden is, however, politically sensitive territory and thus poses great challenges to the policy-makers. Discussions regarding fairer distribution of the burden of asylum seekers have been taking place since the 1990s, and as stated above, some of this has been eased by <a href="http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32015D1523&from=EN">certain provisional measures</a>. However, <a href="http://wol.iza.org/articles/setting-policy-on-asylum-has-eu-got-it-right/long">studies have concluded</a> that between 15 to 40 percent of asylum applications would need to be transferred between Member States in order to ensure a fair distribution. <a href="http://wol.iza.org/articles/setting-policy-on-asylum-has-eu-got-it-right/long">Some scholars</a> have found this to be the only feasible method in which the cost and responsibilities of the reception of asylum seekers can be fairly and equally distributed.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij-ykP1Q-JzAdEwek_G83QBsFUpx40UncqXbYrpqtU8xZdU55MKCe_uEbtT0LSNPgo0NczYRYmqVhQq-xJ6fsmOO2LRtfzPg53YI1I4Ao72cU_lCuJ1vXXhEabt_ITxvw8F3dW0c24d2G3/s1600/BIG04_3687555-e1423791827116.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="134" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij-ykP1Q-JzAdEwek_G83QBsFUpx40UncqXbYrpqtU8xZdU55MKCe_uEbtT0LSNPgo0NczYRYmqVhQq-xJ6fsmOO2LRtfzPg53YI1I4Ao72cU_lCuJ1vXXhEabt_ITxvw8F3dW0c24d2G3/s320/BIG04_3687555-e1423791827116.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i><a href="http://www.onuitalia.com/eng/2015/03/11/unhcr-guardian-new-plan-to-relocate-refugees-in-northern-countries/">Source: ItalyUN.it</a></i></div>
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The comprehensiveness required in order to facilitate and effectively manage the current migratory influx might, in fact, indicate the important, perhaps necessary, role of the CEAS. Nevertheless, a shift is required in its focus as well as its operational methods in order to achieve its goals. </div>
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<b>In conclusion</b></div>
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The Syrian refugee crisis is not likely to be the end of the CEAS. However, policy harmonisation as the primary operational instrument for the CEAS is insufficient under the current migratory influx. The extent of this influx instead demonstrates the need for a more comprehensive and integrated system in order to properly manage it in a Union-wide sense. Further, the effectiveness of the role of EASO in assisting the operation of the CEAS is severely restricted as a result of the arrangement of its funding and the need for its presence to be formally requested. The CEAS and EASO have the potentiality of holding great value to the EU and to the functioning of asylum systems in its Member States. However, unless reform is achieved, this may very well spell the end for a common asylum policy for the EU altogether.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232773481116520546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3698452438704007135.post-42123342968683473682016-04-04T18:30:00.000+02:002016-04-04T18:37:30.205+02:00EASO Expands Access to Country of Origin Information<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidjKuirY85s8MPB7_agxeiQ1n2bHy61_3yntd-EOPqrR37DMSvHUGxXRuNjfHCbJHXAgbqkiMqSgnxeVpCNzD9n9W7cCPbdTQTlpTZDtdL1QMnziDc3nC0UEpvyYN3AnDpT5vx50gmb_E/s1600/EASO+COI+portal.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="94" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidjKuirY85s8MPB7_agxeiQ1n2bHy61_3yntd-EOPqrR37DMSvHUGxXRuNjfHCbJHXAgbqkiMqSgnxeVpCNzD9n9W7cCPbdTQTlpTZDtdL1QMnziDc3nC0UEpvyYN3AnDpT5vx50gmb_E/s320/EASO+COI+portal.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">EASO have<a href="https://easo.europa.eu/latest-news/new-coi-portal-beta-version/" target="_blank"> recently announced</a> that its COI Portal will now be made accessible to the general public. Rendering the Portal available for
practitioners and civil society organisations allows for greater
transparency within the field and specifically for the work of EASO and of MS as they process and decide on asylum applications. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">It seems that the
Portal’s technology will be improved and updated: the Beta version aims to have
a better search facility with a more interactive and easy to use page. It will
be compatible with different sources and will cater for the use of different
languages. It aims to also provide more English language abstracts for
documents which are not in English, allowing more users to easily identify document content.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGeJbVkqX_70e0MaXd8RFTSe58jE4QfEZxJOjHutd1SlZe-MDSkNlAudL-ExsepJqupgSiqOE9zn3W5FxBwSDTPSonxAC0QtRc5Ya2iFqtYXaQiMCPta1o7a7FnKbkmbzcp9l58nbjORQ/s1600/EASO+COI+portal+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGeJbVkqX_70e0MaXd8RFTSe58jE4QfEZxJOjHutd1SlZe-MDSkNlAudL-ExsepJqupgSiqOE9zn3W5FxBwSDTPSonxAC0QtRc5Ya2iFqtYXaQiMCPta1o7a7FnKbkmbzcp9l58nbjORQ/s320/EASO+COI+portal+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">You can access the Portal </span><a href="https://coi.easo.europa.eu/" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> and you may also
</span><a href="https://coi.easo.europa.eu/registration" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;" target="_blank">register</a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">. Registration should eventually lead to personal
notifications related to your specific area of interest.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">We welcome the news that the Portal will be open to practitioners and actors operating outside the MS context. Together with many colleagues active in providing legal support to asylum-seekers, we have often insisted with EASO that principles of natural justice, particularly the right to an effective remedy - enshrined in EU law - require applicants (and their legal representatives) to have access to those elements on which decisions in their regard are taken. This includes COI. It is only with such access can applicants understand and, where relevant, challenge the basis of their asylum decisions.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">We also believe in the value of a transparent Portal that allows individuals or organisations to examine the content and accuracy of the information used by MS in assessing asylum applications. </span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09131023870456374128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3698452438704007135.post-78775656787778990902016-02-01T11:35:00.001+01:002016-02-07T17:16:35.098+01:00Draft Report on the situation in the Mediterranean: Is EASO becoming the new "principal coordinator of the CEAS"? <div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">On the 18th of January
2016 Members of the European Parliament: Roberta Metsola (EPP) and</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px; line-height: 22px;">Cécile Kyenge</span></span><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">(S&D) delivered a </span></span><a href="https://0d2d5d19eb0c0d8cc8c6-a655c0f6dcd98e765a68760c407565ae.ssl.cf3.rackcdn.com/e1325e9273e17ad187d1cf44470fc5afa4cb47f8.pdf" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;">report</a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;"> on “</span><i style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;">the situation in the Mediterranean
and the need for a holistic EU approach to migration” </i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;">where they submitted
their recommendations in relation to migration and border management.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNC3dArMzNcqKfk_MLvksRRxqYu9Lgil4lvMACd0PXFDCdASf6ukyaEvV3nnDXskHGO5r00rKyvELa4FudxPmsEhiYjx4kJCP5u6I3Brwbw19gJGWd2C4fxIw536AmCWbVuL0TVLjkeoE/s1600/ep.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="119" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNC3dArMzNcqKfk_MLvksRRxqYu9Lgil4lvMACd0PXFDCdASf6ukyaEvV3nnDXskHGO5r00rKyvELa4FudxPmsEhiYjx4kJCP5u6I3Brwbw19gJGWd2C4fxIw536AmCWbVuL0TVLjkeoE/s320/ep.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> <a href="https://iaeepresearch.wordpress.com/">Source</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;">This report was a result
of the Resolution ((2014/2097)(RSP)), where the European Parliament requested
the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs to deliver a report
which would touch upon a variety of issues regarding migration, listed below:</span></span></div>
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<ul style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-022b5cdd-9c58-24de-d20f-8ca9fce068aa" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
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<span style="font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Article 80 - Solidarity and fair sharing of responsibility, including search and rescue obligations;</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Tackling criminal smuggling, trafficking and labor exploitation of irregular migrants;</span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-size: 14.6667px; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Border management and visa-policy, including the role of Frontex and other relevant Agencies;</span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-size: 14.6667px; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Developing safe and lawful routes for asylum seekers and refugees into the EU including the Union resettlement policy and corresponding integration policies;</span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-size: 14.6667px; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The strategy on cooperation with third countries, in particular on regional protection programmes, resettlement, returns and to address the root causes of migration;</span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-size: 14.6667px; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Developing adequate legal economic migration channels;</span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-size: 14.6667px; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Analysis on how Home Affairs funds are spent in migration & development context, including emergency funds;</span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-size: 14.6667px; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And last but certainly not least, the effective implementation of the CEAS, including the role of European Asylum Support Office (EASO).</span></span></div>
</li>
</span></ul>
<span id="docs-internal-guid-022b5cdd-9c58-24de-d20f-8ca9fce068aa" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;">Sections 58 and 59 of the
report are dedicated on recommendations on the improvement of EASO. Section 58
introduces the possible development of EASO as the “<i>principal coordinator of
the CEAS”. </i><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">“</span>Principal
coordinator” is an extremely interesting term, especially for a European ag</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;">ency
that is relatively new and the competences of which have not always been
crystal clear. It must be underlined that there is no definition or further
analysis of this term, although the report states that “</span><i style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;">EASO needs to
develop from a collection of experts from Member States into a fully-fledged
Union Agency providing operational support to Member States and at the external
borders</i><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;">”. It therefore becomes clear that the report underlines the need
for a more proactive agency approach largely to support the Member States
operationally.</span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;">We wonder, in particular, how the
report understands the term ‘</span><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; line-height: 22px;">principal</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;"> coordinator’ in the context of EASO’s
relationship with the Commission and whether the MEPs believe EASO should
become an agency primarily concerned with ground support. We’ve often noted
this tension in EASO’s mandate, and highlighted that whilst we believe in the
importance of operational support to struggling Member States, we also stress
that EASO has far more potential and utility in addressing the lack of
harmonisation of the standards stipulated in CEAS. We firmly believe that EASO
should not become an operational crutch for struggling Member States, but that
it should be far more proactive in supporting the creation and implementation
of a vision for CEAS and for refugees coming to and living in the EU.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As expected, the report
also touched upon the the budgetary limitation in relation to relocation,
resettlement and the external dimension. The writers highlight that a mere EUR
30,000 will not suffice under the current circumstances, especially in view of
EASO’s heavy involvement in relocation. The report specifies that EASO will not
be able to live up to expectations in its current form. It also identifies lack
of human resources as one of the core reasons. Interestingly, the report
clarifies that this is an issue that must be resolved not only in the short
term but also in the long term</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihK0lRJFW0QDa_I88vywrsdlIPZgKTGUGOiQBIXWdxtMezCsImpGR0_6c_5JHVwgMZI_srv3_qiYlFnU3WZwtmNCxz782y4rxl0ZdD0f1GXxiw3g0LlkfKVR_jqEP6VdJFooAxQi4AsGw/s1600/maxresdefault.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihK0lRJFW0QDa_I88vywrsdlIPZgKTGUGOiQBIXWdxtMezCsImpGR0_6c_5JHVwgMZI_srv3_qiYlFnU3WZwtmNCxz782y4rxl0ZdD0f1GXxiw3g0LlkfKVR_jqEP6VdJFooAxQi4AsGw/s320/maxresdefault.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p> </o:p></span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-8iYjBKblk">Source</a></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">After contacting MEP
Roberta Metsola, she stated that:</span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;">"<i>There
is no quick fix to migration. We need to all move from our entrenched
ideological towers, look at every single aspect of the issue and come up with
an all-encompassing plan that looks at all the short, medium and long-term
options available.</i></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%;">But coming up with a
plan on paper is not enough, we must have something that works in practice and
does not just serve to grab a few headlines before sitting on a shelf to gather
dust. This is what we have tried to do with this report - we are determined to
plot the political direction for future action on this issue. It simply cannot
wait</span></i><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%;">."<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Overall, said report stresses that
EASO has the capacity to have a very important role with regards to CEAS,
however it can only do so if certain changes are made. It identifies the
budgetary increase as one of the main ways to achieve that result, however it
does not give clear and specific guidelines on how this can be achieved. On the
other hand, one could argue that this report may be a shallow but an important
step forward in order to resolve some of the current migration issues that the
EU is facing.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02751085898321634943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3698452438704007135.post-84797774877137498742016-01-25T14:09:00.000+01:002016-02-07T17:16:47.679+01:00A new EASO Executive Director <div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial"; line-height: 1.38; white-space: pre-wrap;">Mr. José Carreira was elected Executive Director of EASO at the <a href="https://easo.europa.eu/wp-content/uploads/MB-Press-Release-22012016-0021.pdf">Agency's 20th Management Board Meeting</a>.</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; text-align: start;">Newly re-elected Chairman of the Management Board, </span></span></b><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; text-align: start;">Mag Wolfgang Taucher, and Mr. </span><span style="line-height: 22.08px; text-align: start; white-space: pre-wrap;">José Carreira</span></i></span><br />
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Source: <a href="https://easo.europa.eu/latest-news/easos-management-board-meeting-elects-new-chair-and-new-executive-director/">EASO</a></i></span></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Mr. Carreira has acted as EASO’s Executive Director </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">ad interim </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">since November 2015, following the resignation of Dr. Robert Visser in October.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Dr. Visser’s resignation was described as </span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.politico.eu/article/european-asylum-support-office-agency-loses-director-robert-visser-migration-refugees/">‘surprising’, and having left the European Commission ‘in an awkward position’</a>. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Mr. Carreira, a Portuguese national, was previously EASO’s Head of Administration. Before this, he was <a href="http://frontex.europa.eu/assets/Publications/General/Beyond_the_Frontiers.pdf">Director of FRONTEX’s Administration Division</a></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. He has also contributed in numerous United Nations humanitarian relief operations in Europe, Africa and Asia. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">At the <a href="https://www.blogger.com/(http://easomonitor.blogspot.nl/2015/12/easo-consultative-forum-2015-part-i.html">2015 Consultative Forum</a></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Mr. Carreira stated that he “aim[s] to make EASO more operational and better equipped to quickly respond to the changing reality on the ground”.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">EASO Spokesperson Jean-Pierre Schembri stated over the weekend:</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Mr Carreira was elected as the EASO Executive Director yesterday by the Management Board. One of his main objectives is to enable the agency to respond to the new operational challenges which have arisen with the creation of the hotspots and the important role of EASO in the EU relocation programme. Mr Carreira has also stated, in various occasions, that he wants to make the agency more open and accessible in 2016 and to be in closer contact with civil society. In this context, in the coming weeks, he intends to hold a number of bilateral meetings with members of civil society, including Aditus.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We welcome Mr. Carreira, and his stated</span><span style="line-height: 1.38;"> efforts
at pursuing a more open and accessible discourse policy within the Agency.</span></span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232773481116520546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3698452438704007135.post-17750328032309869022016-01-08T18:30:00.001+01:002016-01-08T18:30:38.720+01:00EASO Consultative Forum 2015 - Part II<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This post is a follow up to our previous post on this year's Consultative Forum plenary meeting.</span><br />
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<i style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Last year's Consultative Forum plenary meeting</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Source: <a href="https://easo.europa.eu/easo-consultative-forum/easo-consultative-forum/">EASO</a></i></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="sv"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="sv">Daphn</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="sv"><span class="st">é</span> Bouteillet-Paquet, Senior Legal Officer at
the <a href="http://ecre.org/">European Council on Refugees and Exiles</a>, has provided us with an
inside recap of the discussions and presentations that took place:</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span lang="sv"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null"><br /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><i><span lang="sv" style="background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">Need for a change in the consultation process</span></i></b></span></div>
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</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i><span lang="sv" style="background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">A low
level of participation is to be noticed this year (in total 50 participants but
mainly Maltese based administrations, embassies, UNHCR, NGOs and EASO/ EC staff
members). Discussions were held in relation to the format and how to better
involved NGOs and Marc Camillieri suggested to move towards thematic
consultations to be held on the basis of mini-CF. NGOs can suggest a list
of topics to be discussed and it would be good to reflect on this proposal. Hot
spots and Relocation is the obvious one to take stock of on-going developments
and establish a more substantial dialogue (see below). I would also think that the situation of
children deserves more discussion and reflection beyond the technical meetings
organised by EASO on age assessment and BIC. Please let me know if you have any
other brilliant thought.</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><i><span lang="sv" style="background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">Hotspots and Relocation (Round Table 1)</span></i></b></span></div>
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</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i><span lang="sv" style="background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">The panel
discussion were informative as far as it comes to the description of huge
difficulties and challenges faced both by the Greek and the Italian
administration, representatives of these countries and UNHCR insisted on the
huge resources mobilized to relocate respectively 129 and 30 cases. The EC
seemed to be under huge political
pressure. The humanitarian
situation in Lesbos were discussed at length but there was no real outcome in
relation to the discussions on how NGOs should be involved/ selection process/
transparency of EASO activities. Not surprisingly, some NGos positioned
themselves as a partner while others see themselves as independent
watchdog. It is very difficult to
predict how things will evolve and how ECRE should position itself in relation
to the future of Dublin system. You have probably seen latest political
development with Donald Tusk calling for the end of relocation programmes<a href="https://euobserver.com/migration/131363"> in interviews with 6 European newspapers</a></span><span lang="sv" style="background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">, whilst on the same day Le
Soir and Le Monde released information
about <span style="color: black;"><a href="https://euobserver.com/migration/131337">a letter sent by EC Health Commissioner Vytenis Andriukaitis</a></span></span><span lang="sv" style="background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%;"> </span><span lang="sv" style="background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">to President Juncker after his visit to Lesbos
on 19th November where he describes the humanitarian disaster happening there
and deplores the lack of coordinated EU response. The scenario of a mini-Schengen excluding Greece will be
debated by the European Council on 17
and 18/12.</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><i><span lang="sv" style="background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">Western Balkans (Round Table 2)</span></i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>
</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i><span lang="sv" style="background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">EC
insisted to look at WB both as Safe Countries of Origin and as (future)
countries of destination. EASO confirmed the discrepancies in recognition rates
of asylum seekers coming from WB and MS have been asked to provide very
detailed information about their recognition practice, COI and type of protection
granted. The EC acknowledged their lack of vision in the ENLARG process as
access to international protection was not seen as a priority for the past 10
years and acknowledged a huge challenge
in terms of capacity building (see below information on training modules). Both
IOM and iCMC provided very detailed pictures of the humanitarian situation in
the WB and dramatic prospects with the winter approaching. </span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>
</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><i><span lang="sv" style="background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">Involvement of NGOs in annual publications
(Round Table 3)</span></i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>
</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i><span lang="sv" style="background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">NGOs
suggested more targeted questionnaires in order to avoid that consultation end
up in a resources intensive frustration exercise. We also suggested that EASO
should build more links with grass roots NGOs and publish the list of
experts/organizations consulted on the
different topics in order to have entry point to EASO. In view of the
finalization of the work plan 2016, we provided input on the methodology for Information System and on COI activities based
on the inputs provided by the Dutch Refugee Council. We got no answer from EASO
on these two specific issues. On the AR, we raised issues of methodology but we
had little feedback - EASO agreed on the poor quality of their AR
but insisted that this should be seen as a compromise rather than as a perfect
tool. </span></i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-HNRXTO8ZnYpctXUKmwoTBHN_IBpP7ZcxpwdcO3fn3a8Y8BGB0Qn2co8tdxcFCgCurXynZg-oNs1r-J1tz-N7DNYcuJZJJi7QCpdjddv-n1Lv_3NlHWggjWV-5SZ11M5Uvu4GjYpihFAY/s1600/easo_logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-HNRXTO8ZnYpctXUKmwoTBHN_IBpP7ZcxpwdcO3fn3a8Y8BGB0Qn2co8tdxcFCgCurXynZg-oNs1r-J1tz-N7DNYcuJZJJi7QCpdjddv-n1Lv_3NlHWggjWV-5SZ11M5Uvu4GjYpihFAY/s1600/easo_logo.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span lang="sv"><a href="http://easo.europa.eu/">EASO</a> Spokesperson Jean-Pierre Schembri stated
after the conclusion of the Forum:</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This
year’s Consultative Forum was indeed a special one. This year we commemorated
the 5 year anniversary of EASO and this was also the 5th Consultative Forum
Plenary Meeting organized by EASO. This was therefore the right time to reflect
on the past and think ahead together to sketch a common path on how we deal
with the new challenges in the short, medium and long term.</span></i></span></div>
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</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>We now
plan to make EASO more open and accessible. We have already started enhancing
our communications tools, and now we are very active on social media and on the
net. Moreover, we truly believe that in the current asylum situation,
consultation is not an option but a necessity. Many NGOs, and other
organisations, have unique knowledge and experience on the ground, and we
cannot afford not to make the best use of it.</i><br /><br /><br /><br />We would like to thank </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span lang="sv">Daphn</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span lang="sv"><span class="st">é</span> and Jean-Pierre for their contributions and insights.</span></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232773481116520546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3698452438704007135.post-74300174164849184132015-12-30T12:30:00.000+01:002015-12-30T12:30:03.622+01:00EASO Consultative Forum 2015 - Part I<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>EASO
Consultative Forum 2015</b><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null"><br /></a><span lang="sv"><span style="display: none;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span lang="sv">On November 30th the European Asylum Support
Office held its 5th annual Consultative Forum. The 2015 Consultative Forum
followed shortly after the departure of EASO’s Executive Director Robert
Visser, an event <a href="http://www.politico.eu/article/european-asylum-support-office-agency-loses-director-robert-visser-migration-refugees/">described as ‘surprising’, and having left the European Commission ‘in an awkward position’.</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span lang="sv">Current Executive Director </span>ad interim<span lang="sv">, Mr
José Carreira, stated at the Forum:</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">“This
year’s forum comes at a very important time. With over 1 million asylum
applicants since the beginning of this year and with the implementation of the
Migration agenda, we need to be prepared to answer to the additional demands from
Member States and help relieve the pressure on their asylum systems. I aim to
make EASO more operational and better equipped to quickly respond to the
changing reality on the ground. In this context, consultation with civil
society is not an option but a necessity.”</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGEA5kdtU7c4Fq5nZ-qTetwQyId_9mnzKCWtTy2WGXWIvdVaorTWqe7rR8kY2VpD2NkiFk34ZPN74ggVowl7hcH-4Q7KSPbuNk3WljS8NVisLV4fMlBWJlEXUNrM6MX-vnjhsRoYOQuCEA/s1600/josecarreira.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGEA5kdtU7c4Fq5nZ-qTetwQyId_9mnzKCWtTy2WGXWIvdVaorTWqe7rR8kY2VpD2NkiFk34ZPN74ggVowl7hcH-4Q7KSPbuNk3WljS8NVisLV4fMlBWJlEXUNrM6MX-vnjhsRoYOQuCEA/s320/josecarreira.png" width="202" /></a></span></div>
</div>
<div class="normal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Mr <span lang="sv">
José Carreira</span><br />Source: <a href="https://easo.europa.eu/about-us/easo-team/">EASO</a></span></i></span></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span lang="sv">General discussions were held relating to the
Common European Asylum System as a whole, and EASO’s efforts with regard to the
<a href="http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/home-affairs/what-we-do/policies/european-agenda-migration/background-information/docs/2_hotspots_en.pdf">‘hotspots’</a> in Greece and Italy
in particular. You’re probably very familiar with this approach, but it should
be stressed that hotspots are joint efforts between EASO, Frontex, Europol and
Eurojust, and the relevant authorities in the particular Member State. From
what we currently know (since information on hotspots is quite difficult to
come across), their work relates primarily to the identification and
registration of migrants. What is not clear, for us at least, are issues such
as access by NGOs and lawyers to the hostpots, provision of basic services,
detention during one’s stay at the hotspot and procedures following decisions
adopted by the hotspot inter-agency set-up. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span lang="sv">This system <a href="http://eulawanalysis.blogspot.nl/2015/09/hotspots-for-asylum-applications-some.html">has been criticised by some for its‘crudeness’</a>,
and also for its potential to result in large numbers of refugees being
turned away as a result of the alleged ‘simplicity’ of its functioning. Others,
like Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, <a href="http://www.euronews.com/2015/09/21/the-hotspot-approach-the-answer-to-europe-s-migrant-crisis/">have welcomed the approach</a>. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUhQIVHUit36eozrJ5HG7XvFuZa0X_5ybfMwFU4s2_RbPnNxDCUGrXynoriJ18Ltss1qC0ISpOF-KE2Xfgl7pDLq2QkrQfEAqLHvzLQVLlKs5-gsIOpJR0j37p0YB4eT-3bMNVrYu2OOH9/s1600/cf2014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUhQIVHUit36eozrJ5HG7XvFuZa0X_5ybfMwFU4s2_RbPnNxDCUGrXynoriJ18Ltss1qC0ISpOF-KE2Xfgl7pDLq2QkrQfEAqLHvzLQVLlKs5-gsIOpJR0j37p0YB4eT-3bMNVrYu2OOH9/s320/cf2014.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Last year's Consultative Forum plenary meeting</span></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Source: <a href="https://easo.europa.eu/easo-consultative-forum/easo-consultative-forum/">EASO</a></span></i></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span lang="sv"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/(http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/home-affairs/what-we-do/policies/european-agenda-migration/background-information/docs/communication_on_the_european_agenda_on_migration_en.pdf">The European Agenda on Migration</a>
was also given considerable attention. This Agenda, adopted earlier this year,
is based on the Political Guidelines established by European Commission President
Jean-Claude Juncker. It identifies four pillars of managing migration:</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="normal" style="margin-left: 36pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span lang="sv">1.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span lang="sv">Addressing the root causes of migration, and accordingly reducing the
incentives for migration.</span></span></div>
<div class="normal" style="margin-left: 36pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span lang="sv">2.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span lang="sv">The improved management of the EU’s external borders, relieving
peripheral Member States of migratory pressures.</span></span></div>
<div class="normal" style="margin-left: 36pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span lang="sv">3.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span lang="sv">Solidarity with Member States affected severely by large migratory
flows by further cooperation and strengthening of the Common European Asylum
System.</span></span></div>
<div class="normal" style="margin-left: 36pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span lang="sv">4.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span lang="sv">The development of a new policy relating to legal migration.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="normal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span lang="sv">Further, as stressed by Mr Carreira, EASO’s
engagement with civil society was examined and discussed. EASO described this
as ‘a fruitful dialogue with key organizations and other interested
stakeholders’. The objective seems to be to enhance cooperation and develop
cooperative tools in order to better implement the Common European Asylum
System. The result of this ‘fruitful
dialogue’ remains to be seen, as we have <a href="http://easomonitor.blogspot.nl/2014/01/news-for-new-year-newsletter.html">often commented on</a> the relationship
between<a href="http://easomonitor.blogspot.nl/2013/11/3rd-easo-consultative-forum-plenary.html"> EASO and civil society organisations</a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null">.</a><span style="display: none;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Further commentary will be provided in an up-coming post.</span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232773481116520546noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3698452438704007135.post-73474953508727617392015-12-22T22:30:00.002+01:002015-12-22T23:22:10.100+01:00EASO Practical Cooperation Conference on Afghanistan Report<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The following content has been written in accordance with Chatham House Rules. The content presented is the result of both presentations as well as following discussions of the topic.</span></div>
<br /><span id="docs-internal-guid-3ddfff3f-cb84-541a-65ac-7ec582729e5e"></span>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This is the first conference staged by EASO regarding the specific situation of Afghanistan since its initial one was held in 2012.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Day 1</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">General situation in Afghanistan</span></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The backdrop to the conference was the ‘exponential rise’ in the numbers of Afghan asylum seekers and refugees in the last year, leading to the current ‘unprecedented’ numbers. The discussions relate to the specific dynamics of refugees from Afghanistan, particularly with regard to the high percentage of unaccompanied minors. In fact, unaccompanied minors now represent a quarter of the Afghans applying for asylum in the EU, meaning issues related to their processing are particularly sensitive and complex. It was noted that whilst the number of Afghan asylum applications is currently increasing, decisions on these applications remain low, leading to an expanding backlog of cases.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As of October 2015, Afghan refugees represented the second largest group of refugees entering the EU, the largest group being composed of refugees from Syria. It was noted how the country of origin information for Syrian asylum applicants is largely superfluous due to the well-known severity of the situation in Syria. The assessment of Afghan asylum applications remains complex.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The speakers proceeded to provide in-depth information on the situation in Afghanistan, referring to a rise in the cases of civilian casualties and the challenges of introducing elements of state control and protection.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG7X9QcmMt9mxa5TA7ZVmZb3wIhoWfqXRYQJ_9L4QCo7LDmDSSTR9AEirkBUOuGjKMmKZWg_WIo-h6KxSHVu7yAVKZjsChszHuYyxT29rHKImyv5Hly5PbRZ8AK0Yov_FeieMcN78AWooV/s1600/AFGHAN-REFUGEES.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG7X9QcmMt9mxa5TA7ZVmZb3wIhoWfqXRYQJ_9L4QCo7LDmDSSTR9AEirkBUOuGjKMmKZWg_WIo-h6KxSHVu7yAVKZjsChszHuYyxT29rHKImyv5Hly5PbRZ8AK0Yov_FeieMcN78AWooV/s320/AFGHAN-REFUGEES.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i><a href="http://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2015/03/11/national/pakistan-to-register-1-4m-afghan-refugees-by-july/">Source: Pakistan Today</a></i></span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Afghan refugees in Pakistan</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It was noted that a large number of Afghan refugees have fled to Pakistan, the majority of these being Pashtuns living close to the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. Currently, it is estimated that there are approximately one million undocumented Afghan refugees in Pakistan, and the UNHCR reports there are one and <a href="http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/page?page=49e487016">a half million documented refugees</a>.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Pakistan introduced Proof of Registration (PoR) cards to Afghan refugees in 2006. This document must be regularly renewed. Between 2006 and 2007 all Afghan refugees in Pakistan over the age of 5 were eligible to be given a PoR card. As of 2010, only children of PoR card holders were eligible. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As a means of facilitating the repatriation (i.e. voluntary return) of Afghan refugees, the Draft Comprehensive Policy on Voluntary Repatriation and Management of Afghan Nationals Beyond 2015 was negotiated at the 26th Tripartite Commission in August of 2015. This has not been implemented, but proposes an extension of the PoR card policy until 2017. The development of a national refugee law in Pakistan has also been proposed, but not yet implemented.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy_lhvwb4X89rOj-c58nQ2NDye33arN10C8l1SSRgbOKMPoLNnHyzlL0qvjVKlp_EDFYfgHnfqnnipHZzZPYomuhk1WYq7MMYanDrwPOJDwge2EBZ9x4HYE4SgpwxT1sNiw-ZXO2dhyphenhyphentaj/s1600/AFGHAN-REFUGEES+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy_lhvwb4X89rOj-c58nQ2NDye33arN10C8l1SSRgbOKMPoLNnHyzlL0qvjVKlp_EDFYfgHnfqnnipHZzZPYomuhk1WYq7MMYanDrwPOJDwge2EBZ9x4HYE4SgpwxT1sNiw-ZXO2dhyphenhyphentaj/s1600/AFGHAN-REFUGEES+2.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>Afghan refugee with a PoR card<br /><a href="http://unhcrpk.org/unhcr-urges-afghan-refugees-in-pakistan-to-renew-their-proof-of-registration-cards-before-31-december-2014-to-retain-refugee-status/">Source: UNHCR</a></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; font-weight: 700; line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; white-space: pre-wrap;">Socio-economic situation in Afghanistan</span><br />
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The UNHCR reported <a href="http://www.unhcr.org/pages/49e486eb6.html">there were approximately 700.000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Afghanistan in mid-2014</a></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. This has now increased to approximately 1 million. It is important to reiterate that research shows that IDPs are less resilient to economic shocks than other groups, as also with regards to health, education, and security. Furthermore, integration of IDPs in their new places of residence have proven to be difficult, further exacerbating their overall situation.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Afghan refugees in Iran</span></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Afghan refugees in Iran represent one of the largest refugee populations in the world. 97% of these live in Iranian communities, whereas 3% live in refugee camps. These refugees were previously ‘generously hosted’, but their reception has become increasingly strict in recent years, to the extent that Iran has been accused of ‘falling short’ of its obligations towards Afghan refugees. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Between 2002 and 2014 nearly 1 million instances of repatriation of Afghan refugees from Iran were assisted by the UNHCR. This number has been on the decrease since 2008.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The <a href="http://www.unhcr.org/4a2d27fc2.pdf">Amayesh card</a> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">was introduced in 2001. This functions as a registration card for Afghans in Iran. Apart from the Amayesh system, there is no real path of citizenship for Afghans in Iran. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Day 2</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The situation of returnees and IDPs in Afghanistan</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It seems that a security vacuum has emerged in Afghanistan, as a result of the political paralysis in the country. The Taliban in resurging, and the emergence of IS further inflames the situation. </span></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Afghan repatriation represents the world’s largest repatriation project, with 6 million cases in the last decade. Voluntary repatriation seems to be largely the result of ‘push factors’ in the country of asylum of the refugees. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Afghan refugees in Turkey</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The migration of Afghans to Turkey has been documented since the 1930s. There are reports of a relatively high level of hostility towards Afghans, leading to exploitative conditions of work and the procurement of a livelihood. This has reportedly worsened as a result of the Syrian crisis, as Syrians seem to be given priority, and the situation of Afghans not being given the same kind of attention.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Turkey is, however, largely a transit country for refugees, with a large number of refugees in Turkey seeking to make their way to Europe.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Reintegration of Afghan returnees</span></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As stated above, there is a focus on the return and repatriation of Afghan refugees in many countries as this is seen as the most durable solution. The process of return for refugees is not a uniform process, and many factors must be considered, such as the duration of exile, the region of origin, the country of exile, and the age of the refugee in question.</span></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In Iran, 98% of those between the ages of 15 and 24 are literate, whilst amongst second generation refugees, literacy is at 80%. Of the Afghan refugee population in Pakistan, 6% of boys and 4% of girls complete primary school. 33% of these refugees are literate. 19% of IDPs in Afghanistan are literate; of returnees to Afghanistan this is at 31%. 35% of IDP children are in school; 50% of returnee children are in school. This has led to a mismatch of skills, as those returning often have different qualification levels and different expectations than those who have been internally displaced.</span></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The speakers confirmed the need to monitor the situation of returnees for an extensive period following their return, in order to determine their reintegration levels. Seemingly, this is not done to a sufficient extent.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In conclusion</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">EASO’s Practical Cooperation Conference on Afghanistan provided a comprehensive overview of the situation of Afghan refugees both internally, as well as in its neighbouring countries.</span></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">From our perspective, it is clear that further analysis into the particular issues faced by Afghan refugees is needed, in particular in order to identify those policy measures needed to achieve a level of harmonisation in the way the EU is addressing these issues. We also stress that while the situation regarding Syrian refugees is truly alarming, the human rights challenges faced by other groups of refugees cannot be sidelined or forgotten.</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232773481116520546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3698452438704007135.post-11786796047111562602015-11-27T12:19:00.000+01:002015-11-28T14:38:14.837+01:00EASO Practical Cooperation Conference on Afghanistan<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIaNkD4B8uwVIDbAeIdPDoa3bPJUkzh6jg3SuA6G1JlAOPTfCIiMxIdiTUtM8doxXsbH2ctvHhWUvNo3EocttNvejCc7h96zyDQLtZuQfKI4yD3MRl5u6AwWCeCu4IuDDWTlT5O7Fu2dsS/s1600/Afghanistan-security-transition.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIaNkD4B8uwVIDbAeIdPDoa3bPJUkzh6jg3SuA6G1JlAOPTfCIiMxIdiTUtM8doxXsbH2ctvHhWUvNo3EocttNvejCc7h96zyDQLtZuQfKI4yD3MRl5u6AwWCeCu4IuDDWTlT5O7Fu2dsS/s320/Afghanistan-security-transition.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> Source: <a href="http://www.khaama.com/security-transition-to-afghan-forces-concludes-as-nato-ends-combat-mission-8901">Khaama Press</a></span></i></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">On the 2nd and 3rd of December the European Asylum Support Office will be hosting its Practical Cooperation Conference on Afghanistan in Valletta, Malta. Our team members Ejona and Ingebjørg will be participating, and will produce reports on each day of the Conference.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #222222;">If you have any specific queries or issues you would like to have us raise during the event, just </span><a href="mailto:easomonitor@aditus.org.mt"><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><u>get in touch with u</u></span></a></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="mailto:easomonitor@aditus.org.mt"><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><u>s</u></span></a>.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Provisional Agenda:</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2 December 2015</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Security situation in Afghanistan</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">• Presentation by the Lenny Linke (Afghanistan Analysts Network)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">• Panel discussion and Q&A: Alexander Mundt (UNHCR); Hervé Nicolle (Samuel Hall); Ali M. Latifi (LA Times, Al Jazeera)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The situation of Afghans in Pakistan</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">• Presentation by Indrika Ratwatte (UNHCR Representative in Pakistan)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">• Q&A</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Socio-economic situation in Afghan urban centres</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">• Presentation by Hervé Nicolle (Samuel Hall)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">• Panel discussion and Q&A: Ali M. Latifi (LA Times, Al Jazeera); AAN; Alexander Mundt (UNHCR)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The situation of Afghans in Iran</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">• Presentation by Zuzanna Olszewska</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">3 December 2015</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The situation of IDPs and returnees in Afghanistan</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">• Presentation by Alexander Mundt (UNHCR Assistant Representative in Afghanistan)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">• Panel discussion: Hervé Nicolle, Ali M. Latifi, AAN</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">• Q&A</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Situation of Afghans in Turkey</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">• Presentation by Esra Kaytaz</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">• Remarks by Ali M Latifi</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">• Q&A</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Regional Afghan refugee issues, return and reintegration</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">• Overview by Ali M Latifi on Afghan refugees from the Cold War until now</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">• Presentation by Nassim Majidi (Samuel Hall – via teleconference)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">• Panel discussion and Q&A: AAN, UNHCR, Hervé Nicolle</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Situation of Afghans in southern Europe</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> • Presentation by Alessandro Monsutti (via teleconference)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> • Remarks by Ali M Latifi</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> • Q&A</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232773481116520546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3698452438704007135.post-33211100278367839072015-11-16T10:19:00.000+01:002015-11-27T12:18:21.409+01:00EASO 5 Year Conference<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">On 23 September EASO organised a conference in Malta under the theme: </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">5 years of EASO and the CEAS; results and perspectives</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. In its <a href="https://easo.europa.eu/easo-conference-5-years-of-easo-and-the-ceas-results-and-perspectives/"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">event description</span></a>, EASO depicted its development in the last 5 years as an ‘evolve[ment] into an independent and impartial centre of expertise’, its role being that of ‘providing comprehensive and timely support to requesting Member States’. </span><br />
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-dac0ccd8-0670-2a0e-d942-4af5e76f0b41"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The information presented and discussed at this conference was later published in a <a href="https://easo.europa.eu/wp-content/uploads/Five-years-of-EASO_results-and-perspectives.pdf"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">separate report</span></a>. </span></span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; line-height: 1.38; white-space: pre-wrap;">This report provides a straightforward overview of EASO’s functions as well as its cooperative efforts with other agencies. In terms of ‘results and perspectives’, as the title of the conference promised, the report in entirely descriptive and as such, offers no critical insight into the outcomes of EASO’s efforts. As such, it leaves a lot to be desired in terms of analysis and ‘perspectives’.</span></div>
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-dac0ccd8-0670-2a0e-d942-4af5e76f0b41"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">5 years of EASO: where are we now?</span></span></div>
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-dac0ccd8-0670-2a0e-d942-4af5e76f0b41"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As stated above, the report offers a terrific overview of EASO’s functions as it has evolved over its 5 years of existence. However, it is rather uncritical of its own effectiveness.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">During its time, EASO has provided operational support to Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg and Sweden. The extent of the report is understandably not sufficiently capacious so as to allow for detailed accounts of each of these operations. Nevertheless, when an EU agency offers a report of its 5 years of functioning, the mere insistence of the provision of ‘guidance’, ‘tailor-made’ efforts, and the ‘strengthening [of] reception capacity’ is a lacklustre proffer. This reiterates a recurring point on the EASO Monitor, that EASO largely operates behind closed doors, and its Operating Plans remain elusive. As has been stated by us <a href="http://easomonitor.blogspot.nl/2015/02/time-to-close-easo-monitor.html"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">previously</span></a>, this is </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">unacceptable</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The 5 Year Conference and its consequent report staged an opportune setting to rectify this to some degree. Nevertheless, the accountability and transparency of the Agency remain severe issues.</span></div>
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</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232773481116520546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3698452438704007135.post-46837828576738502132015-11-09T14:38:00.000+01:002015-11-27T13:29:31.517+01:00EASO Monitor Returns<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.38; margin: 0pt 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Dear readers,</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We are delighted to announce that a new team has joined the </span><span style="color: blue;"><b><u><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://aditus.org.mt/" style="color: #0e9cd4; display: inline; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; outline: none; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.3s;">aditus foundation</a></span></u></b></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> to take over EASO Monitor. We are Law graduates, currently pursuing Master’s degrees in European Law at Leiden University, with a particular interest in the legal, practical and human aspects of migration. You can read more about us</span><span style="color: blue;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://aditus.org.mt/about-us/the-team/" style="color: #0e9cd4; display: inline; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; outline: none; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.3s;">here</a></span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We will keep in line with the spirit of this blog, as one that offers a critical insight into EASO’s work, yet we also have a few new ideas that we hope will work towards making EASO, its activities, and our comments more accessible to all of our readers. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Our main aim is to keep you informed about EASO’s activities. The Agency’s website and newsletter are quite good at offering pure information, however, we will also be offering our thoughts on what is working and what is not. In short: what are the ins and outs of EASO and what are the ups and downs.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We encourage discussion and debate in the C</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">omments</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">section so please do comment and feel free to contradict us and tell us what your views are.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Before we start sharing our posts, it might be useful to remember what EASO is and what it is not, as we feel that lack of access to certain significant information might have led to an obfuscation of the Agency’s actual role. The European Asylum Support Office is a regulatory agency of the European Union, based in Malta and established in 2010. According to the establishing Regulation, EASO’s mandate is to help Member States as they operate, within the framework of the Common European Asylum System. EASO supports Member States’ activities by gathering information and data, publishing technical reports, and providing specialised training and expertise. Furthermore, EASO assists those Member States facing particular asylum pressures. EASO’s more recent role includes the coordination of the establishment and implementation of the so-called ‘hotspots’ in Italy and Greece.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We provide a more in-depth description of EASO here but we also recommend their</span><span style="color: blue;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.easo.europa.eu/" style="color: #0e9cd4; display: inline; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; outline: none; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.3s;">website</a></span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> where you can access EASO’s previous reports and news for yourself.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We are also active on </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/easomonitor" style="color: #0e9cd4; display: inline; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; outline: none; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.3s;">Facebook</a></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> and </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://twitter.com/easomonitor" style="color: #0e9cd4; display: inline; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; outline: none; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.3s;">Twitter</a></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> so please do join us over there as well!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Until next time,</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ejona, Ingebjørg & Geraldine</span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02751085898321634943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3698452438704007135.post-11238881637808051472015-02-09T15:20:00.002+01:002015-11-27T13:34:41.648+01:00Time to close the EASO Monitor<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It's been months since we posted an update to the EASO Monitor Blog...a very clear sign that this post, sadly, is going to be the last.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">On the one hand, it's about us. We've grown immensely since our establishment as a Maltese human rights NGO, with several projects and on-going activities that inevitably must take priority over this blog (have you checked out <a href="http://www.aditus.org.mt/" target="_blank">our new site</a>?).</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.aditus.org.mt/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnv571c9LQ69ixICvVWeewlpGh21SjCfhZ5bYLVVNgJunaZvNGX8Xk78aDAPGBrw4VH7_HgKx0VeDLx42JKWHITAB7wCtas8lmyXTkYuvvitLe0pA-KGZ9HMZWjBuyZZZDzYS8nYE7T-XR/s1600/aditus3.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">On the other hand, it's about EASO. In the beginning, our blog was the primary information provider on its activities whilst at the same time we tried offering a critical approach to our monitoring activities. EASO is now a massive (relatively speaking of course) organisation with its own information portal and generating too much work for us to keep track of. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Having said this we're convinced monitoring activities remain necessary, and now more than ever. EASO still suffers from some very serious short-comings, and we're afraid that nobody is proactively asking the questions that need to be asked, and demanding accountability and transparency.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For example:</span></div>
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<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">EASO's largely operates behind closed doors. Whilst the (much improved) Newsletter gives us a glimpse of the work being done down in the Marsa offices, we still know close to nothing of the information it gathers, the way it gathers it and what conclusions (if any) are reached on its basis. We know that EASO is continuously asking Member States to provide statistics, data, facts, legal information, etc. What happens with this data? Is data accuracy matched against other, possibly non-official sources? How is this data being used by EASO, by the Commission, by Member States? Your guess is as good as ours.</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Access to the Operating Plans, the documents explaining EASO's substantial work in Member States like Greece, remains elusive despite these being based on public funds and having a direct impact on the fundamental human rights of persons. This is unacceptable, and should be followed up.</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Does EASO have a Fundamental Rights Policy, that states the Agency's principles and ensures it operates (internally ad externally) within a fundamental rights framework? If our memory is correct, the answer is no. </span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In 2014 the Consultative Forum moved its Plenary meeting from Malta to Brussels, possibly in an attempt to attract higher participation levels. But what is the real engagement level between EASO and civil society, beyond the yearly plenary meeting?</span></li>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Do we need to spell out the recurring theme under these 4 queries? No, but we can reiterate what we think is a possible solution: EASO needs to move away from Member States and start acting like a truly European agency, where supporting Member States is not interpreted as meaning an exclusive consideration of Member State sensitivities. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We've always stressed our position that EASO is an agency we want and should be working with. Stopping this blog is definitely not a sign of lack of interest, but more a decision to prioritise our very limited time and resources in order to focus on those activities closer to our own mission. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We've tried passing on the EASO Monitor to other entities, including academic institutions...but without success. If you're interested, do <a href="mailto:neilfalzon@aditus.org.mt" target="_blank">get in touch</a> with us as we'd be delighted to pass it on! </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A big big thanks to all our readers and followers...it's been great working with you at this end!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Neil</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Director, aditus foundation</span></div>
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Dr. Neil Falzonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02340390560567228351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3698452438704007135.post-34292384816642730822014-06-18T14:42:00.000+02:002014-06-18T14:42:40.593+02:00EASO Management Board meetings - We have the agendas!<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Following our <a href="http://easomonitor.blogspot.com/2014/06/apologies-for-earlier-incorrect-info.html" target="_blank">letter</a> of 9 June, the European Asylum Support Office (EASO) replied to us the following day and sent us the agendas of all the Management Board meetings held to date! You can find them all <a href="http://aditus.org.mt/aditus/Documents/EASOAgendasMB%20meetings.pdf" target="_blank">here</a>.<br /><br />While we are very happy for having received them, we would still like to reiterate that these agendas should be made directly accessible to the public, as clearly required by Article 12 of the <strong>Management Board Decision No. 6 laying down practical arrangements regarding public access to documents</strong>.<br /><br />As for the Operating Plans, EASO makes them available online (<a href="http://easo.europa.eu/asylum-documentation/easo-background-documentation/">http://easo.europa.eu/asylum-documentation/easo-background-documentation/</a>) as long as the relevant national authorities agree with the release of the document or once the activities related to the Operating Plans are fully executed.<br /> <br />We actually think the opposite scenario ought to be the norm: it is during the implementation of these activities that civil society and other stakeholders’ contributions could be most valuable.<br /><br />Finally, regarding our question on the electronic register of documents, we were informed that it is available in two different links: <a href="http://easo.europa.eu/asylum-documentation/easo-background-documentation/">http://easo.europa.eu/asylum-documentation/easo-background-documentation/</a> and <a href="http://easo.europa.eu/asylum-documentation/easo-publication-and-documentation/">http://easo.europa.eu/asylum-documentation/easo-publication-and-documentation/</a>.<br /><br />We are also following up our request for the agendas of the expert meetings and hope to post these as soon as we receive them.<br /><br /><br />Enjoy the reading of all the available documents!</span></div>
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Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3698452438704007135.post-36828797807960149092014-06-09T17:47:00.001+02:002014-06-09T17:48:47.527+02:00Apologies for earlier incorrect info...& a revised letter asking for document access<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We really must apologise for providing incorrect information in our <a href="http://easomonitor.blogspot.com/2014/06/as-yet-unpublished-documents-yet-again.html" target="_blank">earlier post</a> regarding access to EASO documentation. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In our letter to EASO requesting access to a series of documents, we incorrectly stated that Management Board Decision No. 6 laying down practical arrangements regarding public access to the documents of EASO is not available on EASO's website. We would like to correct this statement (happily) by confirming that the Decision is in fact available on the EASO Site, in the <a href="http://easo.europa.eu/asylum-documentation/easo-background-documentation/" target="_blank">Background Information section</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In view of this error, we also revised the letter we had sent to EASO. The <a href="http://aditus.org.mt/aditus/Documents/EASOLetteraccesstodocumentation%28090614%29.pdf" target="_blank">revised letter</a> more clearly specifies the documents we are requesting to be granted access to, and requests that pending the creation of a system for the publication of the Management Board Meeting Agendas, we be given access to them.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We sincerely apologise for the errors in our letter and related post, and thank EASO for kindly bringing them to our attention in order for us to rectify them.</span></div>
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Dr. Neil Falzonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02340390560567228351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3698452438704007135.post-9965185954565226392014-06-06T13:51:00.000+02:002014-06-06T13:51:29.284+02:00As yet unpublished documents... Yet again we ask for their publication!<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">It’s a recurrent topic here in our blog: access to documentation (see some of our posts <a href="http://easomonitor.blogspot.com/search/label/access%20to%20documents" target="_blank">here</a>).<br /><br />In the past, we have asked for the disclosure of the Greek Operating Plan, the Luxembourg Plan and the Seat Agreement signed with Malta. We were only successful with the latter. With the Luxembourg and Greek Plans, our requests were rejected. It should also be mentioned that in the meanwhile the Luxembourg Operating Plan was also published, but only because the operation was over.<br /><br />We will continue reiterating that we feel it is imperative for the European Asylum Support Office (EASO) to disclose the Plans and other key documents, as we believe that these documents are actually the best starting points civil society has to ensure a completely informed and critical commentary/monitoring of EASO’s work. And not only civil society.<br /><br />Therefore, this time round <strong>we wrote a letter to EASO</strong> asking for the publication of three sets of documents: all the <strong>Operating Plans</strong>, <strong>Management Board meeting agendas</strong> and – possibly the most important document – <strong>Management Board Decision No. 6 laying down practical arrangements regarding public access to documents</strong>.<br /> <br />That’s right: the main tool laying down practical details on how to access EASO documents (Management Board Decision No. 6) is itself quite inaccessible! And we must say that we found it (<a href="http://www.asktheeu.org/en/request/rules_for_the_implementation_of_13?unfold=1" target="_blank">here</a>), at last, but not on EASO’s website.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">So, here’s the letter we wrote to EASO. Feel free to share with us any similar experiences and the results of your efforts for publication of EASO’s documents!</span></span></div>
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Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3698452438704007135.post-37392679019030677962014-05-14T10:38:00.001+02:002014-05-14T10:38:29.252+02:00IDAHO Forum side-event<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of our projects at <strong>aditus foundation</strong> consists of Supporting the Fulfilment of Rights of Specific Asylum-Seeking Groups, which is supported by the VOICES Foundation.</span></div>
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<br />In the framework of this project, we are organising a side-event to the <a href="http://www.idaho2014forum.org/index.php" target="_blank">IDAHO Forum</a>. The event, entitled ‘<strong>Protecting sexual orientation/gender identity asylum-seekers & refugees</strong>’, will explore the new protection opportunities presented in the recast EU asylum Directives and assess how to best identify and protect SOGI applicants and refugees. It will take place on the <strong>15th May</strong>, in <strong>Valetta</strong>, and registrations can be done directly in <a href="http://www.aditus.org.mt/aditus_foundation/VOICES.html" target="_blank">our website</a>.<br /> </div>
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<br />Participation is free of charge, but places available are limited, so try to register as soon as possible!<br /><br /><br />Here’s the programme:</div>
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<br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">15th May, 2014<br />Aula Magna, Old University Building, St. Paul Street, Valletta<br /> </span></div>
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<br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">9.30 – 9.45<br />Welcome & Introduction<br />Dr. Neil Falzon, aditus foundation, Director<br /><br />9.45 – 10.00<br />IDAHO Conference: migration & asylum perspectives<br />Ministry for Social Dialogue, Consumer Affairs & Civil Liberties<br /><br />10.00 – 10.30<br />Protection & advocacy opportunities in the recast EU asylum Directives<br />Maria Hennessy, European Council on Refugees & Exiles, Senior<br />Legal Officer<br /><br />10.30 – 10.45<br />Coffee Break<br /><br />10.45 – 12.45<br />How can I prove that I am gay? Examining the barriers & hurdles faced by the LGBTI refugee<br />S Chelvan, No5 Chambers, Barrister<br /><br />12.45 – 13.15<br />Current trends & the way ahead<br />Joël Le Déroff, ILGA-Europe, Senior Policy & Programmes Officer<br /><br />13.15 – 13.30<br />Further questions & closing<br />Panel</span></div>
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Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3698452438704007135.post-50365250322002550742014-01-21T16:39:00.000+01:002014-01-21T16:39:04.395+01:00Will you answer EASO's invitation to engage?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On 18th December all civil society members of EASO's Consultative Forum received a letter from Dr. Visser, EASO Executive Director (downloadable from the above picture). The letter invites us all to indicate our interest in sharing expertise, <i>"in the form of suggestions on relevant documents, provision of qualitative data and participation in selected expert meetings", </i>in the following 3 key themes:</span></div>
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<li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Unaccompanied Minors</b> (age assessment and family tracing);</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>EASO Training Curriculum</b> (through the Reference Group);</span></li>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The letter seems to be a response to repeated criticism that EASO has not yet been able to effectively and strategically engage civil society in its activities, that such engagement has so far really meant a somewhat poor civil society participation at the Agency's annual Consultative Forum Plenary meetings and also a more technical participation at expert meetings and workshops organised throughout the year. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Although it's certainly a positive step in the direction of closer involvement of civil society in EASO's work, the letter has confused many who received it. With little publicly available information on what has actually been happening in the three identified themes, in substantive terms, many organisations seem to be unclear as to what is being actually requested. In particular, we've been asked the following main queries (as if aditus foundation were a branch of EASO!): </span></div>
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<li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>"Doesn't EASO already know our areas of expertise and interest, since upon registration with the Consultative Forum we had clearly identified them?"</i></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>"Isn't difficult to relate to the 'Reference Group', when we really don't know what the group is, who's on it, what it does, and since we've never even seen any of the training modules?"</i></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>"What about the other areas of relevance to CEAS, will there be no consultation on these?"</i></span></li>
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In fact, these queries are essentially a reiteration of civil society's concerns with the way EASO has conducted operations since its establishment, and our response remains what it has always been: despite lack of transparency and openness and despite an unwillingness to share core documentation (we still haven't seen the Greece Operating Plan) to enable us to provide valid, relevant and effective input, EASO is playing an increasingly important role in the quality of treatment received by asylum-seekers and refugees throughout the EU (and possibly beyond). </span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For us this remains the single most valid justification to keep us somehow engaged, as without this engagement we would not be in a position to influence - or to at least try to influence - the Agency's activities and to introduce an element of balance to the apparently unfettered control exercised by the MS through the Agency's Management Board. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We're also not sure what will come out of Visser's letter. We would like it to lead to greater openness, in the true spirit of transparency and accountability. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We would like it to mean more accurate data collection on national laws, policies and practices, possibly facilitating the Commission's monitoring role. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We would like it to result in civil society organisations having access to the training modules, to NGOs playing an active role in the formulation and implementation of Operating Plans, to reception conditions, asylum procedures and protection statuses being in line with international human rights standards.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>If you haven't received the letter, <a href="mailto:consultative-forum@easo.europa.eu" target="_blank">contact</a> the Consultative Forum to see how you can also participate in this exercise.</i></span></div>
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Dr. Neil Falzonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02340390560567228351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3698452438704007135.post-58781156276064492952014-01-19T12:47:00.000+01:002014-01-19T12:47:50.187+01:00News for the New Year: Newsletter November/December, UNHCR, Know Reset, Greek First Reception Service, Consultative Forum Presentations<br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We bring you several updates concerning the activities of the European Asylum Support Office (EASO) and interesting reading material.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong><u><br /></u></strong>The last newsletter’s edition of the year gave us a clue of how 2014 was about to start!</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Still in November 2013, EASO convened a meeting on resettlement and another one on relocation (p. 7), the National Common Portal Administrators met (p. 8), the kick-off meeting for the EASO Operating Plan to Bulgaria took place and a second joint training session on identity and nationality establishment was organised in the framework of the Operating Plan to Greece (p. 10).</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As for 2014, EASO is taking over, since the beginning of January, of the Chair of the Justice and Home Affairs Agencies network (p. 2) and is providing support to the Italian Judiciary within the framework of the existing Special Support Plan (p. 5).</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We were very happy to find, in this edition, some update information on EASO Special Support Activities in Italy – have a look at page 9.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Finally, we would like to bring to your attention the newsletter section on EASO’s cooperation with the International Association of Refugee Law Judges (p. 13) and to the one on the working arrangement between EASO and the UNHCR (pp. 1 and 6). Concerning this last arrangement, read also next section of this post.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The November/December edition of the newsletter can be found in EASO’s website (click <a href="http://easo.europa.eu/wp-content/uploads/EASO-Newsletter-November-December-2013.pdf" target="_blank">here</a>) or in EASO’s facebook page! That’s right, <strong>EASO is now </strong><a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/European-Asylum-Support-Office/1449052665318446" target="_blank"><strong>on Facebook</strong></a>!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Even though a practical cooperation between the two agencies existed already (as Dr. Robert K. Visser, EASO Executive Director, underlined when signing the agreement), this agreement came as a result of an effort to further strengthen this cooperation. “<em>This is of crucial importance, not least as we face a humanitarian crisis unparalleled in recent history at Europe’s doorstep, with the displacement of millions of Syrian refugees.</em>”, stated António Guterres, UN High Commissioner for Refugees.</span></div>
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As can be read in the press release (<a href="http://easo.europa.eu/wp-content/uploads/EASO-UNHCR-press-release.pdf" target="_blank">PR 14/2013</a>, of 13 December), the main areas of cooperation envisaged by the <a href="http://easo.europa.eu/wp-content/uploads/EASO-UNHCR-Working-Arrangement.pdf" target="_blank">working arrangement</a> include training and professional development, exchange of best practices and expertise on quality initiatives and projects, Country of Origin Information, data and information gathering and analysis, identifying vulnerable persons, and resettlement and relocation activities.<br />
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<u><strong>Know Reset project and EASO’s role in the resettlement process</strong></u><br />
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We have mentioned the project <a href="http://www.know-reset.eu/" target="_blank">Know Reset</a> (‘Building Knowledge for a Concerted and Sustainable Approach of Refugee Resettlement in the EU and its Member States’) a few times in our blog (see, e. g., the <a href="http://easomonitor.blogspot.com/2012/11/easo-refugee-resettlement.html" target="_blank">guest post</a> from Frank Mc Namara, Research Assistant on the project).<br />
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The project has now come to an end with the publication of its <a href="http://www.know-reset.eu/files/texts/00707_20140108161311_knowresetfinalreport2013-05.pdf" target="_blank">Final Report</a>, where EASO is mentioned a couple of times. We also advise the reading of another report published in the framework of this same project: ‘<a href="http://www.know-reset.eu/files/texts/00013_20140108160733_knowresetrr-2013-04.pdf" target="_blank">Refugee Resettlement in the EU: The capacity to do it better and to do it more</a>’. In this last report, EASO’s role in the resettlement process is addressed (pp. 42 and 43).<br />
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Enjoy the reading!<br />
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<strong><u>Dr. Robert Visser meets with the Director and the employees of the Greek First Reception Service</u></strong></div>
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Panagiotis Nikas and Dr. Robert K. Visser (<a href="http://easo.europa.eu/news-events/" target="_blank">EASO website</a>)</span></td></tr>
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According to EASO’s first press release of the year (<a href="http://easo.europa.eu/wp-content/uploads/EASO-delegation-visits-the-Greek-First-Reception-Service.pdf" target="_blank">PR 01/2014</a>, of 14 January), the purpose of the meeting held this week was to discuss the state of play regarding the Operating Plan to Greece.<br />
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EASO’s Executive Director, Dr. Robert K. Visser, and Mr. Panagiotis Nikas, Director of the First Reception Service, discussed the priorities in the field of reception and implementation of the Operating Plan.<br />
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Read the press release for more background information, both on the Operating Plan (Phases I and II) and on the First Reception Service.<br />
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<strong><u>Presentations during the EASO Consultative Forum 2013</u></strong><br />
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The EASO Consultative Forum took place on the 27th and 28th November last year (see our earlier posts <a href="http://easomonitor.blogspot.com/#!/2013/11/3rd-easo-consultative-forum-plenary.html" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://easomonitor.blogspot.com/#!/2013/11/easocf2013.html" target="_blank">here</a>) and you can now see the presentations held at this occasion, which are available here:<br />
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<a href="http://easo.europa.eu/wp-content/uploads/CEAS-CF.pdf">http://easo.europa.eu/wp-content/uploads/CEAS-CF.pdf</a>,<br />
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<a href="http://easo.europa.eu/wp-content/uploads/CF-all-presentations-final.pdf">http://easo.europa.eu/wp-content/uploads/CF-all-presentations-final.pdf</a>. </div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="color: black;">Thanks for sharing these links with us, EASO!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3698452438704007135.post-6686983482596368722013-12-02T22:52:00.000+01:002013-12-02T22:52:10.378+01:00Several updates: Bulgaria, Second Quarterly Report, EP and IOM visit to EASO, EASO's budget, Report on the Western Balkan countries<div style="text-align: justify;">
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We have several updates from the past few weeks to bring to your attention.</div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #444444;"><strong><u>EASO and Bulgaria sign Operating Plan</u></strong></span></span></div>
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Following the high increase in the influx of asylum seekers in Bulgaria, on 14 October this EU member state made an official request to receive support from the European Asylum Support Office (EASO). Three days later, EASO and Bulgaria signed an Operating Plan.<br />
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According to the <a href="http://easo.europa.eu/wp-content/uploads/EASO-Bulgaria-Support-Plan-Press-Release.pdf" target="_blank">press release</a> (PR 09/2013 of 17 October), EASO support is due to be provided in prioritized areas, including: “<em>identification and pre-registration of mixed migration flows; registration of asylum seekers and referral of unaccompanied minors and vulnerable persons to the appropriate asylum procedure; supporting the asylum decision process; providing Country of Origin Information; delivering core training in EASO Curriculum Modules for newly hired staff and; offering expertise on the absorption of emergency financial support to Bulgaria under EU funds (SOLID programme)</em>”.<br />
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We welcome the short time-frame in which this agreement was completed, but we regret, as we did in the past for other support plans (see two of our earlier posts <a href="http://easomonitor.blogspot.com/2013/06/easo-italy.html" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://easomonitor.blogspot.com/search/label/asylum%20support%20teams" target="_blank">here</a>), that the full text of the Plan is not available online...</div>
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<strong><u>EASO published Second Quarterly Asylum Report</u></strong><br />
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The ‘<a href="http://easo.europa.eu/latest-news/easo-published-second-quarterly-report/" target="_blank">EASO Quarterly Asylum Report – Quarter 2, 2013</a>’ was published in October. The Report provides for an overview of asylum trends in the EU and Associated countries.<br />
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We had mentioned earlier that such a report can become a key instrument to improve solidarity within and outside the European Union. Read our opinion on the First Quarterly Asylum Report (click <a href="http://easomonitor.blogspot.com/2013/09/easo-issued-quarterly-asylum-report-q1.html" target="_blank">here</a> to read it).</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7gGov-5KTFo/UptBHFMjP0I/AAAAAAAAAFc/s-w9gO0vICc/s1600/Picture+second+quarterly+asylum+report.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="616" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7gGov-5KTFo/UptBHFMjP0I/AAAAAAAAAFc/s-w9gO0vICc/s640/Picture+second+quarterly+asylum+report.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bar chart in p. 9 of the Report</td></tr>
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<strong><u>EP visit to EASO</u></strong></div>
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Remember we’d told you about this visit (click <a href="http://easomonitor.blogspot.com/2013/10/easo-september-newsletter-and-work.html" target="_blank">here</a> for the post)?<br />
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Well, EASO has reported on it in the <a href="http://easo.europa.eu/wp-content/uploads/EASO-Newsletter-October-20131.pdf" target="_blank">October newsletter</a> and in the <a href="http://easo.europa.eu/wp-content/uploads/EP-delegation-Press-Release.pdf" target="_blank">press release 10/2013</a> (of 29 October 2013).<br />
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The MEPs Jan Mulder (NL), Josef Weidenholzer (AT) and Roberta Metsola (MT) met with the Agency Director, Dr. Robert K. Visser, received updates on some of EASO’s activities and tools and discussed the strengthening of future cooperation between the EP and EASO.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vFQaZz3jQys/UptBp5NZxAI/AAAAAAAAAFk/xOnKs9CtuHM/s1600/Picture+EP+visit+to+EASO.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="340" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vFQaZz3jQys/UptBp5NZxAI/AAAAAAAAAFk/xOnKs9CtuHM/s640/Picture+EP+visit+to+EASO.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From EASO October Newsletter</td></tr>
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<strong><u>IOM Director General visit to Malta</u></strong><br />
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Ambassador William Lacy Swing, Director General of the International Organization for Migration, visited EASO’s headquarters (read the <a href="http://easo.europa.eu/wp-content/uploads/Ambassador-SWING-DG-IOM-Press-Release.pdf" target="_blank">press release</a>) while on a visit to Malta, where he also had scheduled meetings with Foreign Minister George Vella, Home Affairs Minister Emmanuel Mallia and Social Dialogue Minister Helena Dalli (see Times of Malta <a href="http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20131104/local/iom-backs-calls-for-legal-migration-channels.493240#.Uo5dOeJOLz9" target="_blank">news article</a> of 4 November).<br />
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<strong><u>EASO’s budget reinforced</u></strong><br />
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Following the recent deaths of hundreds of migrants in the Mediterranean, the European Council and the European Parliament discussed migration and asylum policies in Brussels (24/25 October). The corresponding ‘Conclusions’ (EUCO 169/13) can be found <a href="http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_data/docs/pressdata/en/ec/139197.pdf?" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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The day before the meeting the Parliament had adopted a resolution recommending an increase in the budget for EASO and Frontex, having also recommended that a mechanism envisaging the reduction of the pressure faced by some Member States would be created (you can read here the complete <a href="http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-//EP//TEXT+TA+P7-TA-2013-0448+0+DOC+XML+V0//EN&language=EN&" target="_blank">European Parliament resolution of 23 October 2013 on migratory flows in the Mediterranean, with particular attention to the tragic events off Lampedusa - 2013/2827(RSP)</a>).<br />
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More recently, the EU has adopted the budget for 2014 and EASO is confirmed to receive 130,000 extra Euros for the creation of two additional posts (see ECRE <a href="http://www.ecre.org/media/news/weekly-bulletin.html" target="_blank">Weekly Bulletin</a> 22 November).</div>
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<strong><u>EASO Report on Asylum Applications from the Western Balkans</u></strong><br />
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‘<a href="http://easo.europa.eu/wp-content/uploads/EASO-Report-Western-Balkans.pdf" target="_blank">Asylum Applicants from the Western Balkans: Comparative Analysis of Trends, Push-Pull Factors and Responses</a>’ is a 90-page report on the flow of asylum seekers from ‘Western Balkan countries’ to EU Member States and Associated Countries.<br />
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We haven’t had the time to read the whole report, but on this topic we would just like to underline the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights’ words (ECRE Weekly Bulletin 22 November):<br />
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“<em>The fact that persons of specific ethnic groups are suspected of being more likely to leave their country than others and exercise their right to seek asylum can only reinforce concerns that persons of that ethnic group are indeed in need of international protection as their human rights are not fully protected in their own country</em>”.</div>
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The European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE) Weekly Bulletin 22 November dedicates a section to this report. Read it <a href="http://www.ecre.org/media/news/weekly-bulletin.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</div>
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Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3698452438704007135.post-8690976036540712232013-11-27T12:56:00.000+01:002013-11-27T12:56:00.344+01:00#EASOCF2013 <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This afternoon EASO will open its 3rd Plenary meeting of the Consultative Forum. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We still don't really know who will or will not be attending, so there's no way of guessing the direction tomorrow's discussions will take. If you haven't yet seen the programme, we've uploaded it and shared it <a href="http://easomonitor.blogspot.com/2013/11/3rd-easo-consultative-forum-plenary.html" target="_blank">here</a>. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We'll be there tomorrow all day, also representing our friends at <a href="http://picum.org/en" target="_blank">PICUM</a> since they couldn't make it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you'd like to follow the meeting, we'll be doing our best to tweet key points or post Facebook updates. How to follow?</span></div>
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<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Follow us on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/aditusNGO" target="_blank">@aditusNGO</a></span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Search for and follow #EASOCF2013</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Find us on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/aditus.accessingrights?ref=hl" target="_blank">Facebook</a></span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Retweet, repost, join the discussion!</span></li>
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/aditus.accessingrights" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="377" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2gK9H7cy2HONy5C5YxFhHsTmQDogUupA485hkxLHZjLq8rsQETnk9IZJ-WQ2RIv_RLHx9-IX93hfRV3FTJk-KrhmdQKz4ih_6xDZ9_KJxkjJO-MzPpb_vI725W9YayAXE29H5sJktJ0r1/s640/fbscreenshot.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thanks,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Neil</span></div>
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Dr. Neil Falzonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02340390560567228351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3698452438704007135.post-11223324754854008612013-11-20T18:20:00.000+01:002013-11-20T18:20:07.809+01:003rd EASO Consultative Forum Plenary meeting<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On <b>27th</b> and <b>28th</b> November, EASO is organising it's <b>3rd Consultative Forum (CF) Plenary meeting</b>. This is the annual event where civil society organisations are invited to Malta to discuss various aspects of EASO's work, together with EASO officials, government representatives, officials from the EU institutions and - of course - other members of civil society. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Since we're based in Malta, and are CF registered members, we will definitely be attending this meeting. We've often stressed (e.g. <a href="http://easomonitor.blogspot.com/2012/12/consultative-forums-2nd-meeting-what-do.html" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://easomonitor.blogspot.com/2012/10/easos-2nd-consultative-forum-where-is.html" target="_blank">here</a>) the importance we attach to EASO's activities, particularly towards the Agency's interaction with civil society. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is not to say that we think it's a perfect organisation, or that we have no concerns with certain aspects of its operations, but more to reiterate our belief that EASO's potential to play an important role in strengthening the protection of asylum-seekers and refugees almost requires us to engage with it at some level or other. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If this engagement could result in an improvement in asylum procedures, reception conditions, or any other area covered by the EU asylum acquis, then we are happy to do it. We are even happier when our engagement highlights the inadequacy of the EU asylum acquis (and practice) vis-á-vis the 1951 Convention and other international human rights instruments!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2uNl_rYVfqy9ML3gxN3uoMd5cqovfiOcuvpYNyhLJStUbvHB-LrIG8lV5VBfDmilu6Brcuc4t7MbNaFu9MhINxfUIJVcMEuAIfOa-HCFMDl0l6JvofY3K7hjroSLIvdin39gsI7MAZWbm/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-11-20+at+18.14.40.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="332" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2uNl_rYVfqy9ML3gxN3uoMd5cqovfiOcuvpYNyhLJStUbvHB-LrIG8lV5VBfDmilu6Brcuc4t7MbNaFu9MhINxfUIJVcMEuAIfOa-HCFMDl0l6JvofY3K7hjroSLIvdin39gsI7MAZWbm/s640/Screen+Shot+2013-11-20+at+18.14.40.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We're also very aware of a strong sense of disappointment of many colleagues, questioning whether engaging with EASO is actually worth the effort. This is clearly a decision to be taken by each organisation, yet those organisations that would like to be present for this year's CF but cannot due to financial or other constraints may <a href="mailto:easomonitor@aditus.org.mt" target="_blank">get in touch with us</a> for us to raise any issues, concerns, recommendations on their behalf.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We're not sure if registration is still open, but you can always check by writing to the CF <a href="mailto:consultative-forum@easo.europa.eu" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you're wondering what we'l be discussing, go ahead and download the programme <a href="http://aditus.org.mt/aditus/Documents/Programme-CF13.pdf" target="_blank">here</a> (.pdf).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Best regards,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Neil</span></div>
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Dr. Neil Falzonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02340390560567228351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3698452438704007135.post-24008269254029834192013-11-17T21:16:00.000+01:002013-11-17T21:16:08.782+01:00October Newsletter<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The European Asylum Support Office (EASO) newsletter for October is available <a href="http://easo.europa.eu/wp-content/uploads/EASO-Newsletter-October-20131.pdf" target="_blank">here</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In this edition the recent tragedies at sea resulting in the death of hundreds of migrants received a special focus: in the editorial, in the section on the Justice and Home Affairs Council held in Luxembourg earlier in October and in the new 'Quote of the Month' section.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The newsletter also reports on the European Parliament delegation visit to EASO (see our <a href="http://easomonitor.blogspot.com/2013/10/easo-september-newsletter-and-work.html" target="_blank">earlier post</a> on this meeting), on the support provided to Bulgaria and on the programme for the 3rd Consultative Forum.</span></div>
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“<em>CONTENTS<br /><br />● Editorial and in the news<br />● EASO to provide support to Bulgaria<br />● JHA Council discusses Lampedusa and Syria<br />● Updated EASO COI portal launched<br />● The Salzburg Forum<br />● Visit to the Emergency Transit Centre<br />● The EASO Consultative Forum<br />● EASO training<br />● The Quality Matrix<br />● EASO National Contact Points Training Meeting<br />● Latest asylum trends<br />● New EASO Staff Committee<br />● European Council discusses migration flows<br />● EASO notices, <strong>including vacancies</strong></em>”</div>
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Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3698452438704007135.post-2665205464777359062013-10-25T06:37:00.000+02:002013-10-25T06:37:00.965+02:00Guest post: EASO denied request to meet Norwegian Organisation for Asylum Seekers<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /><span style="color: #444444;">Today we are extremely happy to present you a Guest Post from André Møkkelgjerd, Legal Advisor at the Norwegian Organisation for Asylum Seekers (NOAS).<br /><br />The post summarises NOAS’ efforts to hold a meeting with the European Asylum Support Office (EASO) to hear on the latter’s view on detention practices in European states. A meeting that in the end did not take place because the request was denied by EASO.<br /><br />As André underlines in the post, the detention of asylum seekers is an issue in need of EASO’s attention, so the Agency should actually be grateful for having the opportunity to exchange ideas and information on the issue.<br /><br />In aditus opinion, what NOAS experienced is only one more example of EASO’s minimum efforts to cooperate with civil society (see, for instance, two of our earlier posts: <a href="http://easomonitor.blogspot.com/2013/09/feedback-on-annual-report-on-situation.html" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://easomonitor.blogspot.com/2013/08/consultation-surveys.html?view=timeslide" target="_blank">here</a>).<br /><br /><br />Thanks for this post, André!<br /><br /><br />____________________________<br /><br /> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">The Norwegian Organisation for Asylum Seekers (NOAS) is an independent non-governmental organization which has been working to protect the rights of asylum seekers in Norway for almost 30 years. We are a member of ECRE and of the EASO consultative forum.<br /><br />This autumn we are working on a report on detention of asylum seekers, which will include a comparative European section. As part of our research we are conducting fact finding missions to a few European countries. We are visiting Greece and Sweden as examples of the different ends of the spectrum of detention practices, and in August we visited Malta for research purposes.<br /><br />In addition to examining Malta’s mandatory detention policy, we were interested in hearing EASO’s views on detention in Europe. It is obvious that detention practices vary greatly between states and that there is a need for harmonization. For several states this includes actual assessment of alternatives to detention.<br /><br />Earlier this year NOAS commented on EASO’s work programme for 2014. We stressed the importance of detention as an issue in need of EASO’s attention:</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><em>Lastly, NOAS would like to comment on two important issues that are not mentioned in the draft for the 2014 Work Programme, namely return and detention of asylum seekers.<br /><br />Practices regarding detention of asylum seekers vary greatly among European states. It is however clear that in certain states asylum seekers are routinely detained. This constitutes a serious breach of human rights standards. There is also a practice of detention within the Dublin system for the purpose of transfers to the responsible Member State.<br /> <br />NOAS would like to point out that the right to apply for protection from persecution is a fundamental human right. Detention of people on the mere basis that they pursue this right is a serious human rights violation. We therefore request EASO to be attentive to this issue, to contribute in the process of improving practices regarding detention of asylum seekers in Europe, and to include this in the work programme.<br /><br />NOAS find it particularly concerning that also many children are being detained in some states, and we hope that EASO will pay special attention to the detention of children. In that regard, we recommend that EASO will include UNHCR's forthcoming guidelines regarding the best interest of the child in their work regarding children.</em></span></div>
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After an initial positive response about the possibility of a meeting, EASO decided that they could not meet with NOAS regarding the issue of detention. Although we specified that we were not looking to hear EASO’s view on detention practices in Malta, but their view on practices in different European states, our request was denied.<br />
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NOAS is curious about the reasons for not wanting to meet with civil society on such an important issue. Even though it is not a part of the current work programme, meeting with NGOs could give input and possibly influence what is included in the future work programmes. We believe detention is an important issue, and an issue in special need of attention from an agency tasked with harmonizing European asylum policy. Although situated in the only country with a formal mandatory detention policy, the agency should not shy away from addressing politically delicate issues.<br />
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NOAS’ report will examine different detention practices in Europe. Whether the report would have benefited from EASO’s perspective we will never know.</div>
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