The two-day training to raise the capacity of observers to monitor respect of the rights of asylum seekers and refugees

The Albanian Helsinki Committee held on the 30th and 31st of March 2017 in Gjirokastra, a training activity, fo the “Raising the capacity of the Albanian Helsinki Committee and other civil society organizations”. This activity is realized under the initiative undertaken by the AHC, referred to migration dynamics in the Western Balkans and forecasts made whether Albania and other Western Balkan countries could be affected by an influx of refugees or not. The considerable number of refugees who are in the territory of Greece and attempting to transit through the territory of our country and the impact that has had the agreement between Turkey and heads of state / EU member governments, requires a mobilization and higher activation by organizations and independent institutions operating in the field of human rights. This situation also requires lobbying and advocacy to improve respect for the rights of migrants, refugees, asylum seekers and nationals of third countries

This activity was carried out in cooperation with UNHCR, the Croatian Law Center and the Dutch Council for Refugees, who brought their experiences in dealing with issues that are of interest to ongoing monitoring that AHC will conduct in this field. In addition to the AHC staff, participants in the training were the representatives of the Ombudsman, representative of UNHCR in Gjirokastra, by Terre des Hommes, Refugees and Migrants in Albania Services and other organizations of civil society at the local level. The training was combined with the realization of a visit to Kakavija Cross Border Point.

At great importance of the event, was the presence of Her Excellency, Mrs. Dewi van de Weerd, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Tirana, which welcomed the activity and reemphasized the fact that the applicable legal standards of human rights for refugees and asylum seekers still do not match the international standards in this field. What Mrs. Ambassador raised as something significant, was also the need to continue the hospitality of our country to this vulnerable category, urging to have more attention in this regard.

In the following months AHC, will conduct monitoring missions at the cross border point and in the institutions where irregular migrants and asylum seekers are held, in order to identify the situation of respect for the rights of these categories of individuals. Some of the monitoring will be carried out in cooperation with organizations and institutions that participated in this two-day training.

This activity was conducted in the framework of the project “Contribution for a better respect of the rights of asylum seekers and refugees in Albania” supported by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, in the framework of program MATRA for Rule of Law.