The activities of the Special Representative of the Secretary General on Migration and Refugees (SRSG) continued to focus on the protection of people fleeing Ukraine. She published the first reports on her fact-finding missions to the region: Czech Republic and Slovak Republic. The SRSG also published her conclusions after visiting Poland and the Republic of Moldova. In addition, she gathered the Network of Focal Points on Migration in Strasbourg and online during which the latest standards of the Council of Europe related to the situation in Ukraine were presented to representatives of member states.
On 13 July 2022, the SRSG published her report on Czech Republic, where she emphasised the efficient response of the authorities to an unprecedented situation, resulting in a swift setting-up of well-run registration centres where national, local and non-governmental actors work together closely to provide people fleeing Ukraine with temporary protection. While the Czech Republic does not have any common border with Ukraine, figures show that it is as impacted by the conflict in Ukraine as the countries directly neighbouring it.
In her report on Slovak Republic, she commended exemplary efforts shown by the authorities in coordination with civil society organisations, volunteers, the private sector and local authorities to provide those fleeing Ukraine with immediate and basic necessities and other forms of support. In a swift response to the situation, the Slovak Republic quickly amended its existing asylum legislation to be able to grant temporary protection status to people fleeing Ukraine at a very early stage.
Within the framework of the Council of Europe Action Plan on Protecting Vulnerable Persons in the Context of Migration and Asylum in Europe (2021-2025) and based on the relevant standards of the Council of Europe, the SRSG offers both countries to develop a more comprehensive and systematic vulnerability assessment procedure for persons with special needs, especially unaccompanied minors. Further support proposed includes assisting the relevant authorities, in close co-operation with other international organisations, in particular with the UNHCR, to fight against trafficking in human beings, to identify victims of sexual exploitation and abuse, including children, to ensure women’s safety in reception facilities and to prevent gender-based violence. The SRSG also offers the Council of Europe´s expertise to support stakeholders providing psychological or trauma assistance; to facilitate the linguistic inclusion of adults as well as the recognition of qualifications to access the labour market. As regards unaccompanied children, support related to their identification, reception and the appointment of their guardians is also proposed.
On 20 June 2022, on the World Refugee Day, the Council of Europe and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) published a joint statement, emphasising that anyone fleeing war, conflict or persecution or risking violence, abuse or exploitation, has the right to seek safety and protection.
”Human rights are central to safety and protection. The Council of Europe standards apply to everyone in need, with particular attention to the rights of those in vulnerable situations, such as migrant, refugee and asylum-seeking women and girls, unaccompanied and separated children, and elderly persons”, said the SRSG. The Council of Europe Action Plan on Protecting Vulnerable Persons in the Context of Migration and Asylum in Europe (2021-2025) proposes notably targeted measures and activities to enhance the capacity of member states to identify and address vulnerabilities throughout asylum and migration procedures.
“Every person has the right to seek safety and to have access to human rights, whoever they are, wherever they come from, and whenever they are forced to flee. Together with the Council of Europe and its member states UNHCR continues working to safeguard the rights of forcibly displaced persons.” said Andreas Wissner, UNHCR Representative to the European Institutions in Strasbourg.
On 9 and 10 June, the SRSG chaired the 5th meeting of the Network of Focal Points on Migration gathering participants from relevant ministries dealing with migration issues, coming from 40 member states. Member states provided updates on the situation of people fleeing Ukraine since the last meeting in March, and the Council of Europe informed participants on initiatives and new standards relevant for migrants and refugees, such as the Recommendation of the Committee of Ministers to member States on protecting the rights of migrant, refugee and asylum-seeking women and girls and the Recommendation of the Committee of Ministers to member States on multilevel policies and governance for intercultural integration. For the first time, a thematic discussion on child-friendly approaches and procedures in migration was organised, as reflected in the Council of Europe Action Plan on Protecting Vulnerable Persons in the Context of Asylum and Migration in Europe. The new Council Of Europe Strategy for the Rights of the Child (2022-2027): “Children’s Rights in Action: from continuous implementation to joint innovation” was presented with a focus on migrant and refugee children. The meeting agenda also included a presentation of compliance reports adopted by the Lanzarote Committee, the new Council of Europe guidance on family-based care for unaccompanied and separated children and an overview of the case-law of the European Court of Human Rights on the rights of refugee and migrant children. An update on the progress of the implementation of the Council of Europe Action Plan on Protecting Vulnerable Persons in the Context of Migration and Asylum in Europe was also presented.
On 17 June 2022, the SRSG presented conclusions on her fact-finding visit to the Republic of Moldova. “The Republic of Moldova is deploying extraordinary efforts to welcome people fleeing war in Ukraine but needs additional resources and expertise to build long-term solutions for the women, children, elderly and persons with disabilities currently in the country. Certain facilities are not meant to accommodate refugees for longer periods”, she said.
The number of arrivals in the country has decreased compared to the massive influx at the beginning of the war in Ukraine, but the people arriving now are in a more vulnerable situation and are likely to stay for a long time. Of the nearly 500,000 refugees who have crossed the border from Ukraine, Moldova was hosting about 80,000 persons at the time of the visit, half of whom were children. Around 90% of these refugees were hosted by over 10,000 local families.
In Chișinău, the SRSG addressed a launching seminar entitled “Psychological Support to Refugees: Strengthening Professional Capacities” of psychologists, teachers and social workers to detect women and children with war-related traumas and treat them adequately. The event was a first step of a fully-fledged programme aiming notably at enhancing the skills and know-how of a wide range of actors to detect victims of trafficking, violence, exploitation and abuse, including among those fleeing Ukraine.
On 7 June 2022, the SRSG published her conclusions on the fact-finding mission to Poland, emphasising that Poland is the main country receiving people fleeing the war in Ukraine and that medium and long-term solutions are needed.
“Poland is the main country of arrival for refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine and the generosity shown by the residents, civil society organisations, local and national government institutions is to be commended. This demonstrates that it is possible to provide an adequate and dignified welcome to people who flee for their lives “, said the SRSG. “There are many challenges and uncertainties lying ahead in the medium and longer term, in particular with regard to housing, access to education, healthcare and employment. Both authorities and civil society are committed to addressing these issues”, she added.
Targeted support was proposed based on the Council of Europe standards, notably as regards to Action against Trafficking in Human Beings, the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse and the Protection of the rights of migrant, refugee and asylum-seeking women and girls. The SRSG also raised awareness on Council of Europe tools such as the Recommendation on Effective guardianship for unaccompanied and separated children in the context of migration, the European Qualifications Passport for Refugees (EQPR) and the Toolkit for language support for adult refugees.