Auteur: VWV1© Vluchtelingenwerk Vlaanderen 2008 Presentation

2© Vluchtelingenwerk Vlaanderen 2008 Flemish Refugee Action: Vision ¬ Every person has the right for a life in peace, freedom and security ¬ Refugees have a right for protection ¬ Protection = fair qualitative procedure + good reception + integration possibilities

3© Vluchtelingenwerk Vlaanderen 2008 Flemish Refugee Action: Guiding principles ¬ Convention of Geneva ¬ Universal Declaration of Human Rights ¬ European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights ¬ A refugee = everyone who has to leave his/her country of origin for reasons of persecution, serious violation of human rights or (civil) war

4© Vluchtelingenwerk Vlaanderen 2008 Flemish Refugee Action: Values ¬ Independence ¬ Respect, dignity and protection ¬ Defending the interests of refugees and asylum seekers in Belgium/Flanders

5© Vluchtelingenwerk Vlaanderen 2008 Flemish Refugee Action: Mission ¬ To increase/reinforce the support of refugees/asylum seekers ¬ To influence policy ¬ To support practitioners and to stimulate cooperation

6© Vluchtelingenwerk Vlaanderen 2008 Flemish Refugee Action: Network ¬ about 40 member organizations : professional organizations, volunteer committees, experts ¬ member of FAM (Forum Asylum and Migration, network of 100 associations working around migration) ¬ about 50 volunteer organizations ¬ member of ECRE, European Council on Refugees and Exiles

7© Vluchtelingenwerk Vlaanderen 2008 Flemish Refugee Action: Tasks 1. Policy and Action 2. Support and Analysis 3. European activities 4. Priorities

8© Vluchtelingenwerk Vlaanderen 2008 Flemish Refugee Action: 1. Policy and action 1.1. Influencing policy ¬ To influence/lobby politicians, government, administrations, political parties… ¬ Analysis and position determination concerning: ¬ protection ¬ reception ¬ return ¬ integration ¬ regularization

9© Vluchtelingenwerk Vlaanderen 2008 Flemish Refugee Action: 1. Policy and action 1.2. Action: ¬ To influence public opinion/ to create fundamental values in the society together with our supporting community by means of : ¬ campaigns ¬ actions ¬ press approach … ¬ Activities concerning refugee artists: ¬ imaging ¬ intercultural approach

10© Vluchtelingenwerk Vlaanderen 2008 Flemish Refugee Action: 2. Support and analysis 2.1. Asylum/protection 2.2. Reception 2.3. Integration 2.4. Return

11© Vluchtelingenwerk Vlaanderen 2008 Flemish Refugee Action: 2. Support and analysis 2.1. Asylum/protection: ¬ Networking with advocacy and practitioners for better legal assistance of asylum seekers ¬ Constant monitoring of the asylum procedure ¬ Legal helpdesk, trainings, newsletter ¬ Planet Search: country of origin information

12© Vluchtelingenwerk Vlaanderen 2008 Flemish Refugee Action: 2. Support and analysis 2.2. Reception: ¬ 7 partners: Caritas Internationaal, CAW Mozaïek Asiel, CAW Stimulans, CAW Visserij - afdelingen 't Eilandje en Schreiboom, Socialistische Solidariteit and vzw Lhiving (ex- Zorgwonen). ¬ 750 housing facilities in Flanders and Brussels ¬ small-scaled Klein Kasteeltje, Brussels

13© Vluchtelingenwerk Vlaanderen 2008 Flemish Refugee Action: 2. Support and analysis 2.3. Integration: A. Education ¬ Study counselling: ¬ counselling and support for refugees and asylum seekers who (want to) study in higher education ¬ helpdesk ¬ trainings

14© Vluchtelingenwerk Vlaanderen 2008 Flemish Refugee Action: 2. Support and analysis 2.3. Integration: B. Employment ¬ following employment policy for asylum seekers/refugees/minorities ¬ determinating study policy for asylum seekers in the hole reception system

15© Vluchtelingenwerk Vlaanderen 2008 Flemish Refugee Action: 2. Support and analysis 2.4. Return (1) ¬ Helpdesk and a newsletter about the (im)possibility of returning and the refoulement of people of a certain nationality ¬ Operational support of individual returnees to Russia and Albania

16© Vluchtelingenwerk Vlaanderen 2008 Flemish Refugee Action: 2. Support and analysis 2.4. Return(2) ¬ Coordination of the European network for the creation and spread of information about countries of return (Country of Return Information)

17© Vluchtelingenwerk Vlaanderen 2008 Flemish Refugee Action: 3. European activities ¬ following European asylum policy ¬ active member of ECRE, the European Council on Refugees and Exiles ¬ European projects with partners from other member states

18© Vluchtelingenwerk Vlaanderen 2008 Flemish Refugee Action: 4. Priorities 4.1 Protection ¬ Sufficient wide criteria for protection and their proper implementation ¬ Quick and qualitative asylum procedure which ensures that every application gets a judgement on the merit ¬ Qualitative and transparent information about the situation in the countries of origin ¬ Open opportunities of (legal) access to EU / Belgium for refugees, including resettlement

19© Vluchtelingenwerk Vlaanderen 2008 Flemish Refugee Action: 4. Priorities 4.2 Reception ¬ Reception which respects the autonomy of asylum seekers, so preferably small-scaled setting with duration limits and modalities of providing material support ¬ Adequate care which takes into account the profile of the asylum seeker ¬ Absolute right to reception during the asylum procedure and afterwards in the circumstances beyond one’s control and if fundamental rights are in dispute ¬ Good legal assistance for all asylum seekers and refugees by lawyers in cooperation with other counsellors

20© Vluchtelingenwerk Vlaanderen 2008 Flemish Refugee Action: 4. Priorities 4.3 Return ¬ Need of a legally based return route which has a double perspective of further residence or return possibilities ¬ Absolute priority for (supported) voluntary return. Need of expanded, structural support of return and reintegration ¬ A policy objective of an abolition of the closed centres. Alternatives are the non-detention of certain categories and the alternative control instruments

21© Vluchtelingenwerk Vlaanderen 2008 Flemish Refugee Action: 4. Priorities 4.4 Integration ¬ Integration as a process which lets refugees and host societies make steps towards each other ¬ Attention to the potential and the capacities of refugees. Need of a good policy on graduation recognition, RAC/RAQ and renewed (higher) education ¬ Need of ongoing initiatives for the host society concerning sensitisation, meetings, intercultural approach,…

22© Vluchtelingenwerk Vlaanderen 2008 Flemish Refugee Action: 4. Priorities And also… ¬ Sustainable solution for unaccompanied foreign minors which protects their best interests (stay or return) ¬ Structural adjustment of regularisation into the policy, with legislative criteria and an independent commission ¬ EU-policy: harmonized policy and practice in all EU member states following the highest standards ¬ Subjects which are less or not followed by Flemish Refugee Council: naturalization, family reunification, trafficking victims, economic immigration, migration and development,…

Auteur: VWV23© Vluchtelingenwerk Vlaanderen 2008 Gaucheret Str Brussel Tel.: 02/ Fax: 02/