Newsletter Issue no. 1 - November 2006 - IOMIOM/MRF Budapest Newsletter, Issue 1, November 2006 Page...

IOM/MRF Budapest Newsletter, Issue 1, November 2006

Newsletter Issue no. 1 - November 2006

Dear Readers, It is my pleasure to present to you with the first edition of the IOM Regional Newsletter for Central and South-Eastern Europe. Migration issues occupy currently the forefront of attention of the international community, governments, academia, and media alike. Central and South-Eastern Europe region has in recent years been both a source of and a destination for migrants, which has presented the policy makers and practitioners with a unique set of opportunities and challenges. IOM’s response to these issues has been to come up with a set of tools to manage migration: from the fight against human trafficking and smuggling and the implementation of integrated border management to innovative programmes of voluntary returns and reintegration of migrants, community stabilization, and management of labour migration, among others. IOM Budapest aims through this newsletter to raise awareness of the migration issues and IOM activities in the region as well as the future work to be done to make migration work for all. ARGENTINA SZABADOS

Regional Representative

Trafficking in Human Beings for Sexual

Exploitation: the Demand Side Explored

IOM and the Polish Ministry of Interior hosted a European Expert Conference on 11-12th October 2006 to review findings of the regional research on the demand side of trafficking for sexual exploitation in Central Europe.

The meeting in Warsaw was the first IOM seminar in Europe to discuss the demand side of an issue, which has traditionally been addressed from the point of view of supply - looking at root causes such as poverty, methods of recruitment, criminal groups, trafficking routes and the impact of the trafficking experience on the victims.

Counter-trafficking policies have consequently concentrated on criminal prosecution and assistance to victims, or supporting prevention efforts through capacity building, creation of alternative livelihood options and awareness raising campaigns. However, a new, complementary focus on demand is beginning to emerge. In 2005, IOM Prague carried out a pilot research in two Czech border regions, following up in

2006 with an information campaign targeting the clients of sex workers.

In early 2006, IOM Budapest initiated a regional research project funded by the European Commission’s AGIS 2005 programme, which looks at the demand side of trafficking in Central Europe. Separate country studies were carried out in Poland, Slovakia, Hungary and Slovenia, to serve as a basis for the regional comparative report and a set of policy recommendations.

The research maps out the structure of the sex sector, assessing the profiles, attitudes and experiences of trafficking among clients, police, pimps, NGO workers and the women themselves. (Continued on page 2)

“Don’t be afraid and speak up for her” –

IOM Prague campaign for users of sexual services

INSIDE:

Reintegration of Military Personnel in Serbia………………………..2

Improving Employment Prospects for Polish Roma

Communities ……………………………………………………………...2

Czech Republic Attracts Foreign Labour…………………………….3

A Life Rebuilt: IOM Helps Bosnian Victims of Trafficking Reintegrate

into Their Communities…………………………………………………..4

Advocating for Victims of Trafficking – Training for Lawyers and

Students of Law – FYR of Macedonia……………………………….…4

Home Alone Generation………………………………………………..5

Migration Information Centre in Slovakia……………………………6

Public Infrastructure Rehabilitation

in the Kosovo Province (The Republic of Serbia)…………...……...7

IOM Counter-Trafficking Efforts in Bulgaria…………………………..7

Campaign to Promote Safe Migration in Albania ………………...8


Trafficking in Human Beings for Sexual Exploitation: the Demand Side Explored (Continued from page 1)

While little concrete link between trafficking and prostitution was obtained through the interviews, widespread exploitative and humiliating practices in street prostitution in particular were evident. This involved violent pimps, the forcing of larger number of clients on their women and taking larger shares of the women’s earnings. Poor hygiene and drug abuse were frequently reported. Women from the poorest regions, such as the eastern parts of Slovakia and Hungary, particularly from ethnic minorities like Roma, were found to be especially vulnerable to exploitation in the lowest segment of the sex industry. The research showed a need for more health and outreach services for women involved in prostitution, and more rehabilitation and alternative employment programmes. For more information please contact Heikki Mattila at IOM Budapest [email protected]

Reintegration of Military Personnel in the Republic of Serbia

The NATO/Partnership for Peace Trust Fund Programme for Assistance to redundant military personnel within the scope of Defence Sector Reform in Serbia was launched in July 2006 by the IOM office in Belgrade. The aim of the programme is to strengthen the effectiveness of the Project for Resettlement in Serbian Armed Forces (PRISMA) and assist approximately 1,850 redundant military personnel, as well as their families and dependants, to reintegrate into productive civilian life. Micro-credits and grants for setting up or joining micro, small and medium size enterprises will be provided, as well as support services, assistance in employment generation, referral services and where appropriate, vocational skills training. Such efforts are undertaken by IOM also in Croatia and Bosnia & Herzegovina.

Gen. Major Tadić, Assistant Minister Jevtić, Gregoire Goodstein,

Chief of IOM Belgrade Mission at the Steering Committee Meeting

Improving Employment Prospects for Polish Roma Communities

The launch of SARE Cooperative

The first social cooperative established within the framework of EQUAL Development Partnership (DP) Partnership for Vocational Activation of Roma People through Social Economy Tools (PARPSET) was opened in Kraków on the 27th of October 2006. The Social Cooperative SARE is founded by 10 members, mostly Romani women, who offer catering and sewing services. The next cooperative, JAME ROMA in Olsztyn, northeast Poland, will open in December 2006.

PARPSET project is being managed by IOM Warsaw in partnership with the Association of Romani Women in Poland, the Union of Polish Roma, Polish Red Cross and the Foundation for Social and Economic Initiatives. The objective of the PARPSET Development Partnership is to combat discrimination and unequal access to the labour market through vocational activation of Roma people in Poland with the help of social economy tools, particularly by creation of social cooperatives designed specifically to offer employment opportunities meeting needs and potential of local Roma communities.

Four cooperatives are planned to open within the project, in Kraków, Sławno, Olsztyn and Szczecinek. Forty-one Roma and non Roma participants have found employment in the cooperatives. They will be supported through vocational training, mentoring and financing to ensure that they are able to successfully continue the cooperatives' activities after the project is finished.

The Partnership for Activation of Roma People through Social Economy Tools project is supported by the EC EQUAL Community Initiative (theme D -

Entrepreneurship and Social Economy).


Nationalities of participants

176

75 74

35 24

14 10

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20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

200

Bulgaria Ukraine Belarus Kazakhstan Moldova Russia S & M Croatia Canada Macedonia

Professional Background of participants

51 49 48 33 30 22 12

218

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150

200

250

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Czech Republic Attracts Foreign Labour

The first thirty participants of the pilot project “Selection of Qualified Foreign Workers“, and their family members obtained their permanent residence permits in the Czech Republic through a facilitated procedure on 3rd October 2006. The new Czech residents come from Bulgaria, Croatia and Kazakhstan and include a computer programmer, a construction engineer, a shop assistant and an opera singer.

The project is part of the active immigration policy of the Czech Republic. It aims to bring qualified foreign workers from abroad, who wish to settle in the country together with their families. Participants who successfully meet all the requirements may apply for permanent residence in the Czech Republic as soon as 30 months after their arrival (2,5 years as opposed to a regular requirement of 5 years). Foreign graduates of Czech universities and high schools are also given the same opportunity.

Selection for the project is carried out through an online procedure in which applicants obtain points. The main criteria are the level of education and professional experience. Other important factors are: age, language skills, previous experience of living in the Czech Republic and their family situation. From January 2007 onwards, the participants will be able to enrol in Czech language courses in order to enhance their successful integration.

All applicants must show a valid residence permit and have found legal employment in the Czech Republic. Participants who lose their job through no fault of their own are entitled to a thirty-day grace period during which they do not lose their visa or their residence permit.

The pilot project was initiated in July 2003 by the Czech Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs in cooperation with IOM and initially targeted Bulgaria, Croatia and Kazakhstan. On October 1, 2004, Belarus and Moldova joined the pilot project, and currently the project is open also to the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, FYR of Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, the Russian Federation and Ukraine. The pilot phase will last five years and it is expected that the project will be eventually open to all non-EU citizens, who fulfil the relevant criteria.

To date, applications from 463 persons representing 10 countries have been accepted. As many as 41 foreign graduates of Czech universities and 3 foreign graduates of Czech high schools have also joined the project.

For more information go to: http://www.imigrace.mpsv.cz or www.iom.cz


Life Rebuilt: IOM helps Bosnian Victims of Trafficking Reintegrate into their Communities

Alma (not her real name) used to be a waitress in a small town in Bosnia-Herzegovina. One night, in 1991, she was drugged and kidnapped by two Bosnian women to Italy, where she was forced into prostitution by her kidnappers. Unable to escape, she was subsequently sold to an Italian businessman who abused her both physically and psychologically, burning her with cigarettes and forcing her to consume anti-psychotic medication prescribed for him. Alerted by neighbours, the police found and freed Alma and other women who were held in the house. Alma’s ordeal lasted ten long years, two of which she spent in prison for not having legal documents for her stay in Italy. After Alma had been released from prison, she contacted the Italian Red Cross, who referred her to IOM’s shelter network. In the shelter, she was able to contact her family by phone, a cause of great joy for both Alma and her family, as they had been convinced that Alma was dead. IOM offices in Rome and Sarajevo coordinated and supported Alma’s return home. A victim of trafficking, Alma is one of the successful cases who, with IOM’s assistance, have rebuilt their life in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Once in Bosnia and Herzegovina, IOM Sarajevo provided her with reception assistance, a reinstallation grant, and escorted her home. Alma's reintegration needs were assessed with „Woman BiH“, a local NGO, which further assisted with her successful reintegration. Counselling and psychotherapy sessions were provided as well as vocational and on-the

job training and an opportunity to participate in a “work therapy” program. Alma also received assistance in finding a small apartment and became involved in courses and workshops offered by the NGO, which she successfully completed. Today Alma is an independent young woman. She has her own flat, a job at the home for the elderly, and is volunteers for the NGO that supported her reintegration. Azra Hasanbegovic, the director of Woman BiH says that Alma is

a “very positive and healthy person now”. Reintegration assistance is a core component of IOM Sarajevo’s counter-trafficking efforts, recently reinforced with the financial assistance of a USAID. IOM Sarajevo assists not only foreign victims of trafficking, but an increasing number of Bosnian national victims of trafficking like Alma, who return home and require long-term support ranging from psycho-social care to assistance in accessing their basic rights of health care, shelter, education and employment. Own nationals represent a growing percentage of victims of trafficking in BiH. In 2005 only 20% of victims of trafficking assisted in BiH were Bosnian nationals, while in 2006, this number increased to 56%. IOM Sarajevo will continue its efforts towards reintegrating and assisting women like Alma to rebuild their lives, one step at a time.

IOM Sarajevo counter-trafficking activities are supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA), the Government of Italy and the Government of

Greece.

Advocating for Victims of Trafficking – Training for Lawyers and Students of Law in FYR of Macedonia Between May and August 2006 a specialised training on victim advocacy for lawyers was organised by IOM Skopje, targeting 20 lawyers active in the field of human trafficking and irregular migration. National experts, such as representatives from the Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Justice and local NGOs were invited to lecture on the fundamentals of trafficking in human beings in FYR of Macedonia. The trainees were given the possibility to familiarize themselves with national standards addressing trafficking and irregular migration, as well as with activities of the national institutions. The trainees showed special interest in the role of the judge during the investigative procedure, the position of the victims and their protection during trial, the national mechanism for granting temporary residence permits to the victims of trafficking. A follow up training for the same group will be organised in November and will include analysis of specific cases and international standards.


Home Alone Generation – The Romanian Children Left Alone by Their Migrant Worker Parents After the fall of communism, Romanian emigration has assumed significant proportions to reach approximately two million nationals abroad by the end of 2005, i.e. more than 15% of the workforce. While further outflows are foreseen with the official EU admission, the consequences of migration for the economy as well as for the society are already clearly visible. One of the currently debated issues is the impact that migration has for the children left behind by their parents, who went to work abroad. Local authorities and civil society in the Moldova region of

Romania estimate, that approximately 20,000 children in that region alone, are abandoned at home by parents who work abroad. A study of an NGO “Alternative Sociale” has identified over 4000 schoolchildren aged 10-19 in Iasi, one of the main cities in the region, who have at least one parent abroad. 20% of these children have both parents abroad and are effectively deprived of parental care. The analysis has revealed that what the children mostly miss is the parental affection. Although this phenomenon seems to be offset by the money remitted by the migrant parents, the psychologists warn on the long-term negative effects on children’s development, ranging from school marginalization, stigmatization, abandon, and systematic absence, to violent behaviour and drug abuse.

The response to the issue is coming from many different circles. The “Daily Event” (Evenimentul Zilei) newspaper has carried out a campaign called “Home Alone Generation” after a suicide of a little boy who was missing his migrant mother. The campaign has strived to raise attention of the authorities and to inform the potential migrant parents about the perils of leaving the children behind. The Romanian government has issued a decision requiring potential migrant parents to provide a “written proof from the Public Service for Social Assistance or the mayor stating that the parent or parents seeking work abroad have notified these authorities about their intention”. In October 2006, IOM Bucharest in cooperation with the “Al.I.Cuza” University in Iasi, Faculty of Psychology, and the “Alternative Sociale” organized a workshop on designing a curriculum for a new course on the protection of the abandoned children for senior students in Social Assistance, and for Master’s students in Family - Social Implication and Developments. Two further training events are planned for social workers and counsellors of the Iasi General Directorate for Social Assistance and Child Protection. “The situation of the abandoned children is more than terrible and serious, and it is becoming clearer that the currently existing legal framework does not provide a satisfactory solution for the moment”, said Camelia Paun, IOM coordinator of the project in Bucharest. She added: “We hope that these training seminars will open a door for all concerned: children, parents and care givers, so that finally children receive the adequate service required in their situation.” The workshop is part of a larger programme financed by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs addressing irregular migration and trafficking in unaccompanied minors through providing support to minors in situation of extreme vulnerability. The programme aims to address serious social problems such as abuse, abandonment and exploitation of minors in Romania and Republic of Moldova, often related to the phenomena of irregular migration and trafficking in unaccompanied minors towards Italy. The project activities include the rehabilitation interventions by institutions and services for minors’ care and protection; the training of social and health caregivers, and the training of law enforcement and the judiciary.


Migration Information Centre in Slovakia “ I came to Slovakia in 1999 to become a doctor”, says Selwa, one of over 100 migrants assisted in IOM Migration Information Centre (MIC) in Slovakia since April 2006. „My brother studied here, I wanted to get education and return back to Sudan,“ she continues. Unfortunately, she became sick and had to interrupt her studies for over a year. She was not entitled to scholarship during that time and soon found herself illegally staying in Slovakia. „I tried to get scholarship again after I got well, but I was already illegally in Slovakia. I also needed some documents from my government for the Slovak authorities in order to include me among foreign students, unfortunately my government never replied to my queries”. After some months of efforts Selwa succeeded to get a tolerated stay in Slovakia and started to work as a hairdresser, which helps her to survive while still trying to continue her studies. „It was only after I came to MIC that things started to move, they helped me to find a free of charge lawyer to get documents that I needed and found an NGO that gives me some money for my work there to make my living. There is no way I will be able to join university before September 2007, so I am considering a course that MIC offers to get a proper job until then. I will need money for studies and I also have two sisters and my mom to support in Sudan until I go back home,“ says Selwa with optimism.

Selwa is just one of over one hundred migrants assisted in IOM Migration Information Centre since its opening in April 2006. Many among them are highly educated, but some are also unskilled migrants, who came to either study in Slovakia or simply seek better life. MIC operates in Bratislava and Košice and provides information in person, via email and through a toll-free information line. As a walk-in centre, MIC also offers free access to internet and a library. Migrants can also apply for a free retraining or educational courses to increase their chances on the Slovak labour market. The main purposes of the Migration Information Centre are to help migrants legally staying in Slovakia to settle down and integrate into the Slovak society, and to help the Slovak welcome migrants and assist with their cultural and social integration. Migration Information Centre is supported by the ESF Community Initiative Equal and the Slovak government. For more information check: http://www.domavsr.sk/mic/index.asp


Public Infrastructure Rehabilitation in the

Kosovo Province (the Republic of Serbia)

IOM Mission in Kosovo province (the Republic of Serbia) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) strengthened their cooperation by launching a new, one million US dollar initiative in early September 2006. The Community Enhancement and Development Program (CEDP) concentrates on improving the living conditions of the residents of northern part of Kosovo. CEDP projects, will focus on enhancing the existing infrastructure, providing necessary materials and equipment to various public institutions and addressing the requirements of the targeted communities in the northern part of Mitrovicë/a town and Zubin Potok Municipality. IOM is working with the communities to identify projects that meet their needs. One of the initial projects recently supported through CEDP is the rehabilitation of Sveti Sava primary school, with 800 pupils, in northern Mitrovicë/a. Extensive interior and exterior reconstruction is being carried out, which will result in a new roof, windows, flooring, toilets and exterior façade, including a fresh coat of paint. A ground-breaking ceremony for this project took place on 4th October, presided over by John Boris, Deputy Director of the US Department of State's Office of the Coordinator of U.S. Assistance to Europe and Eurasia (EUR/ACE) and Michael Farbman, USAID Kosovo Mission Director as well as the school’s director, Andrija Vukomanović. Several other projects are in progress including the rehabilitation of the main road, town centre, and the town hall in Zubin Potok, in addition to the enlargement of the public library in northern Mitrovicë/a.

John Boris, US Dept of State, symbolically starts the renovations of primary school in northern Mitrovicë/a

IOM Counter-Trafficking Efforts in Bulgaria

To counteract trafficking for illicit baby adoptions and to provide assistance to mothers with children and pregnant women victims of trafficking, IOM Sofia plans to establish the first specialized Shelter for Mother and Child Victims of Trafficking in the city of Burgas. The Black Sea city of Burgas, where IOM Sofia operates a Regional Consultancy Migration Centre, lies within a region of high concentration of victims of this newly emerging form of trafficking. Being an international tourist destination, Burgas is also one of the most strategic ports on the Black Sea coast playing an important role in external EU border management and coordinating regional efforts in combating irregular migration and trafficking of human beings.

Regional Migration Information Centre in Burgas The shelter premises will be upgraded and converted into a fully functional and operational shelter. IOM Sofia will train appropriate personnel to provide assistance to the clients placed there. Other components of the project will include training and capacity building of the National and Local Counter-Trafficking Commissions, judiciary, professionals from psycho-social and health sectors, as well as civil society organizations; and providing small grants to community organizations for activities addressing root causes of trafficking in persons. The community projects will address the needs of at-risk groups by helping improve social services and conditions within vulnerable communities and providing alternative livelihood opportunities, thus reducing risks of trafficking. The grants will support the integration of those most at risk; provide vocational education opportunities for women and children; encourage cultural activities and support children’s school attendance, thereby making them less vulnerable to traffickers. The financial support to the project is provided by the USAID.


Campaign to Promote Safe Migration in Albania A campaign targeting six areas in Albania known to experience high levels of irregular migration and human trafficking has been launched on 14th July after a survey found little awareness of human trafficking and the dangers of irregular migration among the population there. About 20 per cent of the Albanian population has emigrated abroad and each year hundreds of Albanians use illegal channels to migrate to Western Europe, USA or Canada where they face problems related to their irregular status, including deportation and trafficking. Women and children are particularly vulnerable to human trafficking, with Albania being a source, transit and a destination country for victims of trafficking.

The campaign, "Safe Migration Is A Choice and an Opportunity" to be carried out in Shkodra, Tirana, Durres, Vlora, Kukes and Peshkopi, aims to show how people can get information on regular channels of migration and how to avoid the dangers associated with irregular migration, such as human trafficking. Funded by the British Embassy in Tirana, the campaign includes tools such as television public service announcements and a TV documentary, leaflets, posters and brochures, while a mobile information centre will be available for people to visit. A telephone hotline for reporting trafficking cases as well as training for journalists on ethical issues on the way they cover trafficking, are also part of the campaign. Albanian soprano, Teuta Koco, who is now a British citizen, is endorsing the campaign, as IOM Goodwill Ambassador in Albania. "I am proud to have Teuta Koco on board as an IOM Goodwill Ambassador. Through her dedication and eagerness to make a difference, I am sure she will be a strong voice in promoting safe migration and preventing human slavery in Albania,” said Maurizio Busatti, Chief of IOM Mission in Albania. IOM is working with the Albanian government to ensure its efforts to combat trafficking and irregular migration meet international standards and to promote informed, regular mobility. IOM also provides direct assistance to victims of trafficking through the provision of counselling, return and reintegration assistance, such as vocational training and job placement. So far, IOM has directly assisted 252 foreign and 332 Albanian victims of trafficking in the country.

IOM Regional Office for Central and South-Eastern Europe provides support to IOM missions and offices in Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, FYR of Macedonia, the Republic of

Montenegro, Poland, Romania, the Republic of Serbia (including the province of Kosovo), Slovakia and

Slovenia.

IOM/MRF Budapest Révay u. 12 1065 Budapest Hungary Tel: + 36 1 472 2500 Fax: + 36 1 374 0532 Email: [email protected]

For more information about IOM activities in the region or to subscribe to this newsletter go to http://www.iom.hu

To provide comments to this edition, please contact [email protected]

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