On 21 June 2021, the Education Department of the Council of Europe launched, in partnership with UNHCR, the City of Strasbourg and the Association Foyer Notre-Dame, a video in the framework of the Refugee Week (“Semaine des Réfugiés”), taking place from 13 to 21 June 2021.
The video features testimonials from three refugees, one of whom received the European Qualifications Passport for Refugees (EQPR) issued by the Council of Europe. Tamon Mark’s health-related qualifications were assessed through the EQPR project in 2019 and have enabled him to help his host country, Greece, in the COVID-19 crisis as an assistant nurse at an elderly care facility in Athens. Tamon Mark’s inspiring story and the possibilities the EQPR offers in the COVID-19 crisis were also presented in an article published in TIME Magazine in April 2020.
Implemented by the Council of Europe since 2017, the European Qualifications Passport for Refugees project enables refugees to have their qualifications assessed even in the absence of a full documentation. The EQPR, as a document, can be used by refugees when they wish to enter further studies or when they seek employment.