Representative of Ombudsman took part at international event in Spain

The next meeting of Asylum and Migration Working Group (WG) of the European Network of National Human Rights Institutions (ENNHRI) was organized on October 9-11, 2019 in Madrid, Spain.

The event brought together representatives from different European ombudsman institutions, officials of CoE, GANHRI, UNHCR and other international organizations.

Past activities were summarized and analyzed; future priorities were determined in the meeting.

Turan Jahangirova, the Head of the Unit on Protection of the Rights of Refugees, IDPs and Migrants attended the meeting as a member of this WG and informed the participants on improvement of national legislation in compliance with international documents, application of innovative approaches to carry out activities in this field.

It was stressed that the number of migrants coming to Azerbaijan increases due to the existing economic development, stability and tolerant environment in the country, despite the problems arising from ethnic cleansing policy of Armenia lasted for 30 years that results in massive violation of rights of more than one million refugees and IDPs.

She noted that one of the core parts of the Ombudsman’s activity targeted effectively ensuring the rights of vulnerable population groups, also organizing preventive measures against illegal migration, forced labour and trafficking in human beings. Furthermore, she provided broad information on the Ombudsman’s National Preventive Mechanism activity.

She also mentioned that within the framework of the Ombudsman’s close cooperation with state bodies, foreign ombudspersons, diplomatic missions in the country and abroad, the state of this group of population is jointly investigated, regular meetings are held in places. As a result, assistance is rendered to legalize migrants’ labour activity, covering their social needs, implementation of their education, health and other rights, citizenship status is determined for stateless persons, they’re given necessary documents in a short period of time. Private and family life of each migrant is taken into consideration.

She added that broad consultations on ensuring rights of this population group are organized with participation of civil society institutions, the achieved results are addressed to relevant state authorities.

It was also told that the Commissioner’s proposals regarding migrants were taken into consideration. Increasing the knowledge of staff members of state bodies involved in migration management are also under the focus of the Ombudsman.

The representative of the Ombudsman stated that legal publications in several languages are distributed among target groups within the joint projects implemented with UNHCR and IOM missions to Azerbaijan.

Considering importance of coordination and data exchange, also the impact of illegal migration to the security of every state, the representative of the Ombudsman sounded different proposals on improving quality of services for foreigners entering the country territory; directing all applications for asylum seeking after thorough investigation of them; ensuring efficiency in border crossing points; developing joint plan of actions aimed at referring assessments and reports about results of monitoring.

During the meeting, broad discussions regarding the topics of rights of migrants, asylum-seekers, unaccompanied minors, also the report of the WG to be drafted next year have been conducted.

Within the framework of the event, members of the WG paid a visit to Association that provides support to migrants and refugees in Madrid.