Today's date:
2009-01-09
Judges seminar in the Baltics
“Now I know what the difference is between a refugee and an irregular
migrant!”
This comment was made by one of the judges who participated in a regional seminar
for judges and legal practitioners in Tallinn in November 2008. The participants
came from all of the Baltic countries, and the seminar was organised by the UNHCR
Regional Office for the Baltic and Nordics.
Judges in the Baltic region have not had the opportunity to gain much experience
in asylum law and this seminar was a forum for them to improve their knowledge
of international refugee law. Credibility assessment, evaluation of evidence
and burden of proof in the refugee status determination process were given
special attention.
Even though the number of asylum seekers in the Baltics still is low compared
to other countries within the Schengen area, the number has increased. The
judges face major challenges when it comes to assessing statements and claims
since they lack experience in trying asylum cases. Asylum-seekers face many
problems in the Baltic countries too, problems ranging from insufficient reception
conditions, especially for vulnerable groups, to access to legal aid, interpreters
and asylum procedures. It is in the best interest of judges, the asylum-seekers
themselves and UNHCR to ensure that expertise within the field of asylum law
is improved in the Baltic countries.
The seminar fell within the frames of effective capacity building efforts
to enforce the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and its
1967 Additional Protocol.
Michael Ross, currently working as Regional RSD Evaluator at UNHCR Regional
Representation for Central Europe, gave a presentation on assessment of credibility
of asylum claims. Senior Regional Protection Officer Liv Feijen, Senior Regional
Protection Assistant Andrei Arjupin and Liaison Officer for Lithuania,
Renata Kules, were main moderators and speakers.
Capacity building in the region will continue within the different instances
that come into contact with asylum-seekers and migrants. The seminar took
place in Tallinn, Estonia, on 27-28 November 2008.
UNHCR is also sponsoring for one judge per country to take part in a seminar
in South Africa at the end of January 2009. The 8th World Conference of the
International Association of Refugee Law Judges (IARLJ) will take place in
Cape Town. The conference will be preceded by professional development training,
designed for new refugee law judges and decision makers, as well as a workshop.
Both these events will be co-organised and facilitated by UNHCR.
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