MIGRATION and ASYLUM NETWORKING INITIATIVES Olga Ozernaya Research and Networking Officer/Söderköping Process Secretariat * The Cross-Border Co-operation/Söderköping Process is a project funded by the European Union.

 To enhance day-to-day cooperation by regular exchange of information and sharing of experience in the region;  To foster dialogue between national, international experts and governmental authorities on border management, migration and international protection issues to enhance cross-border cooperation;  To serve as a follow up to the Thematic Workshops on specific issues addressed by the participating Governments; SODERKOPING PROCESS AND NETWORKING INITIATIVES: Objectives

 Prevention of Abuse of Asylum Systems;  Regional Meeting of Managers of Reception Facilities for Asylum Seekers;  Durable solutions;  Role of NGOs in the Cross-Border Co-operation Process;  Analyses of Migration Trends in Eastern and Central Europe;  Judicial Practice in the Field of Irregular Migration;  Labour Migration, Remittances and Integration; THEMATIC COMPONENETS

 Migration/Asylum Research Activities;  NGO Networking;  Study Visits/Training;  National Coordinator's Network IMPLEMENTED NETWORKING ACTIVITIES:

 Comparative Research: Analysis of Migration Trends ;  Comparative Research: Analysis of Migration Trends ;  Development of questionnaire on misuse of asylum system;  Research Networking Program on Migration/ Capacity Building of National Migration Research Institutions;  Local integration of refugees in Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine – a strategy for action;  Comparative Research: Legal regulations of combating people smuggling;  The challenges faced by the migrants from Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine on labour markets and in societies of New EU Member States MIGRATION/ASYLUM RESEARCH ACTIVITIES

NGO NETWORKING Joint partnership venture with the European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE) and the Danish Refugee Council (DRC):  Sub- Regional/Regional NGO Networking Workshops;  Establishment of the Ukrainian Refugee Council: a web-based on-line forum of NGOs created; Memorandum of Understanding endorsed and signed by NGOs; Lobbying activity on policy making process in refugee protection issues; Migrants’ access to legal protection achieved and monitored; Mobilization of resources on refugee protection: joint funding opportunities developed.

STUDY VISITS/TRAINING  Study visit to FRONTEX;  Training for management and staff of migrant reception centers from Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova;  Participation in the European Summer School: European Union Law and Policy on Immigration and Asylum;  Study visit of Ministry of Interior officials of Ukraine to Lithuania under the EC/TAIEX programme;  Organization of 2 study visits for Ministry of Interior and Border Guard officials, migrants’ accommodation centres’ managers from Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine to the detention centers for illegal migrants in the Slovak Republic and Sweden;

In partnership with:  Odysseus Network;  FRONTEX;  ENARO;

NATIONAL COORDINATORS’ NETWORK  Meetings (2) of Söderköping Process National Coordinators: Facilitating dialogue and strengthening cooperation between asylum, migration and border authorities in all participating countries; Enhancing access to information and strengthen research capacities in the ten countries; Generating public awareness on issues pertinent to asylum, migration and border management with a view to creating a regional asylum, migration and border management network;

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