On 27-28 May 2019, in Lisbon, key stakeholders from the Council of Europe, UNHCR (the United Nation’s refugee agency) and national experts from Portugal gathered to discuss the “Effective Protection of Refugee and Migrant Children in Portugal”. The aim of the two-day event, organised jointly by CoE and UNHCR, was to raise awareness and capacity building of professionals who come into contact with children on the move, in line with international standards. The seminar brought together some 80 participants from relevant Portuguese authorities, including the Ministry of Internal Administration, Immigration and Borders Service, the High Commission for Migration, the National Commission for the Promotion of Rights and the Protection of Children and Young People, legal professionals, and the Portuguese Ombudsperson, as well as other national and international stakeholders. The seminar offered an opportunity to support ongoing initiatives by the government to further strengthen protection of children starting from the moment of arrival, through cooperation between asylum, anti-trafficking, and child protection institutions in Portugal.
The Council of Europe has launched a call for international consultancy for up to 15 experts within the framework of the project Effective Alternatives to Immigration Detention: Learning, Sharing, Applying.
The specific focus of the Project is overall capacity building of relevant stakeholders, such as national authorities working in the field of immigration detention and alternatives to immigration detention, competent authorities in charge of migration and child protection policies, civil servants, border guards and police, detention officials, judges and legal professionals, social workers and NGOs working in the field. The objective is to disseminate know-how and user-friendly information, standards and practices on effective alternatives to immigration detention, and enhance the capacities of national stakeholders dealing with immigration detention by a series of training sessions and peer to peer exchanges. The purpose of the project is to assist individuals whose compliance to migration procedures can be ensured without resorting to detention. Refugee and migrant children, with or without their families, are a particular focus group of the Project. The Project is implemented within the framework of the Action Plan on Protecting Refugee and Migrant Children in Europe (2017-2019).
To submit your application, please send the completed Act of Engagement together with supporting documents by 1 July 2019.
Call for Individual consultants
Call for NGOs and CSO
Call for Outreach consultancy (individuals and companies)