Protecting and upholding the human rights of persons in vulnerable situations in the context of migration and asylum remains a challenge which must be adequately addressed, underlined the Special Representative of the Secretary General (SRSG) on Migration and Refugees, Leyla Kayacik, presenting  today the first interim report on the implementation of the Council of Europe Action Plan on Protecting Vulnerable Persons in the Context of Migration and Asylum in Europe (2021-2025) to the Committee of Ministers.

Noting that the implementation of the Action Plan was impacted by the Russian Federation‘s aggression against Ukraine, which forced millions of people to flee the country, the SRSG said the Council of Europe needed to adapt its working methods and provide concrete and coherent responses to challenges faced by member states in protecting the human rights of the most vulnerable.

She further highlighted progress achieved in developing standards related to protection of persons in a vulnerable situation, along with co-operation activities aimed at building migration, asylum and reception systems in the long term, supporting access to healthcare, including mental health, strengthening the capacity of legal professionals in the field of migration and asylum as well as supporting education, and linguistic and intercultural inclusion within the host communities.

The co-ordination both within the Council of Europe and with member states as well as with other international organisations dealing with migrants and refugees, have been strengthened, SRSG Kayacik stated.

Noting that more than two years remain for the implementation of the Action Plan, the SRSG announced that during this period the focus will be placed on:

• Protecting women and children from abuse, exploitation and human trafficking
• Providing access to healthcare and building capacity of providers of psychological support
• Reinforcing access to education, linguistic integration and qualifications recognition
• Strenghtening the capacity of legal professionals in the field of migration and asylum
• Reinforcing resilience of local and regional authorities

The first interim report provides an overview of the work carried out by the Council of Europe in the field of migration and asylum for the period from May 2021 to December 2022.