Trans-Regional Conference

Border Management and Protection of RefugeesConference Report

24 26.11 2010Hungary, Budapest

Published by United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Regional Representation for Central Europe Budapest, July 2011

TABLE OF CONTENTSGLOSSARY .................................................................................................................................... 6 Part IINTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................7 OPENING REMARKS ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................9 (Mr. Gottfried Koefner, UNHCR Regional Representative for Central Europe) WORKING GROUP RECOMMENDATIONS .................................................................................................................................................................................11 Working Group 1 .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................11 Working Group 2................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................13 Working Group 3 ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 15

Part IISUMMARY: DAY 1 ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................17 SUMMARY: DAY 2 ...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................21 SUMMARY: DAY 3........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 29

Part IIICOUNTRY PRESENTATIONS...............................................................................................................................................................................................................35 Bulgaria .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 36 Croatia ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................40 Czech Republic................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 43 Greece .....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................46 Hungary.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................49 Moldova...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................51 Romania ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 54 Serbia....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 56 Slovakia .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 58 Slovenia ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................60 Turkey..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 63 Ukraine .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 65

ANNEXESConcept Note....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 67 Agenda of the Conference ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................70 List of participants............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 73

Conference Report

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GLOSSARY10-Point Plan of Action Refugee Protection and Mixed Migration: A 10-Point Plan of Action (UNHCR, rev. 1, 2007) EC Directive 2005/85/EC on minimum standards on procedures in Member States for granting and withdrawing refugee status Convention against Torture, and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (1984) Country of Origin Information European Court of Justice European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (1950) European Court of Human Rights European Union European ngerprint database for identifying asylum seekers and irregular border-crossers. Executive Committee of the High Commissioners Programme European Agency for the Management of Operational Cooperation at the External Borders of the Member States of the European Union International Organization for Migration Non-governmental organization EC Directive 2004/83/EC of 29 April 2004 on minimum standards for the qualication and status of third country nationals or stateless persons as refugees or as persons who otherwise need international protection and the content of the protection granted Rapid Border Intervention Teams Convention relating to the Status of Refugees (1951) EC Directive 2008/115/EC on common standards and procedures in Member States for returning illegally staying third-country nationals UNHCR Regional Representation for Central Europe Schengen Borders Code Ofce of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

Asylum Procedures Directive

CAT

COI ECJ ECHR

ECtHR EU Eurodac

EXCOM FRONTEX

IOM NGO Qualication Directive

RABIT Refugee Convention Return Directive

RRCE SBC UNHCR

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Refugees at the Border

INTRODUCTIONFrom 24-26 November 2010, the UNHCR Regional Representation for Central Europe (RRCE) organised in Budapest the rst trans-regional conference on border management and the protection of refugees. The general aim of the conference was to raise the prole of international protection considerations in the context of regional migration dynamics at the external borders of the European Union (EU) and neighboring countries, and to encourage border management approaches which respect protection imperatives such as access to territory and to the asylum procedure, non-penalization for illegal entry, alternatives to detention and non-refoulement. The overall objective of the conference was to develop protection-sensitive migration strategies built on strong cooperation and partnerships between States, international organisations, academia and civil society organisations. Initially planned as a cross-border meeting between the UNHCR RRCE and the Regional Representation for Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova with the aim to further develop existing mechanisms, invitations were later extended to ve more countries of the region. Consequently, fteen countr