Gotenica, November 2004 NGO Border Monitoring Pilot Projects – Trakai Forum Follow up

Gotenica, November 2004

Poland – Belarus Bug River Border Monitoring Project Lublin Refugee Law Clinic “Further develop the relationship between the HQ and local border guards, Police and non-governmental organizations in Poland. Increase the abilities of Polish border guards to deal appropriately with asylum seekers. Develop a consistent border monitoring mechanism in the region that can be used to meet the goals and framework recognized at the First Regional Forum on border monitoring April 19-21, 2004 in Trakai, Lithuania. Enhance the impact of UNHCR funds in Poland and Belarus by strengthening the capacity of UNHCR partner NGO’s and developing synergy between current programs and enhanced border monitoring activities”.

Gotenica, November 2004 Hungary - Romania Romanian National Council for Refugees (CNRR) and Hungarian Helsinki Committee: “Enhanced competencies of front-line border police and consistent border monitoring throughout the region are essential in order to ensure effective access of asylum-seekers to the territory and the RSD procedures. Through this project, CNRR would like to share its experience and to contribute to the harmonization of practices in the region, in co-operation with the Hungarian Helsinki Committee, UNHCR and the Border Police authorities from Romania and Hungary”.

Gotenica, November 2004 Hungary – Ukraine - Romania International Foundation for Health and Environment Protection “Region Karpat” (NEEKA)” Hungarian Helsinki Committee, Menedek (Hungary) Slovak Goodwill Society

Gotenica, November 2004 Hungary – Ukraine - Romania “The main goal of this project is to establish cooperation between Ukrainian, Hungarian and Slovak Migration authorities and NGOs involved in refugee protection as well as to secure asylum seekers access to refugee status determination procedure at the main border crossing points of the above mentioned countries”.

Gotenica, November 2004 Turkey - Bulgaria Implementing agency Amnesty International Turkey Partners in Turkey Association for Solidarity with Asylum-seekers and Migrants (ASAM) Human Resources Development Foundation (HRDF) Potential partners in Bulgaria Bulgaria Helsinki Committee Bulgarian Red Cross Catholic Relief Services (CRS), Bulgaria

Gotenica, November 2004 Turkey - Bulgaria “Lay the foundation for a cross-border protection monitoring network for the benefit of refugees, asylum- seekers and others needing protection, such as the victims of trafficking. Assess the current needs and existing resources for the humane reception of asylum-seekers and other migrants in the border area and develop strategies for making improvements. Build confidence between the Turkish and Bulgarian officials and the NGOs, in order to facilitate access and the effectiveness of border monitoring activities. Raise public awareness of protection problems and the need for human reception conditions in the border area”.

Gotenica, November and 12 November Edirne- Dialogue on Protection on Bulgarian Turkish border The first Dialogue on Protection of refugees on the Bulgarian -Turkish Border took place in Edirne on November. The participants reached the following concluding remarks: 1. Recognition of the need of the two parties to get together. 2. The issue with the Edirne hospital and mosque. 3. A need for a continuous dialogue on the border issues. 4. Recognition of the importance of the cross border issue. 5. Mutual respect for the capacities and institutions. 6. Appreciation of the value of the enhanced and continued cooperation across the borders. 7. Willingness to explore and to cooperate is a prerequisite for successful cooperation. The participants agreed on basic understandings: 1. Contact details were exchanged. 2. The contact network created should be used. 3. Efforts should be made to encourage cross border partnerships (for example the Edirne and the Haskovo Bar associations). 4. The participants expressed their hope to stay in touch in order to plan spring The door is always open for any of the participants to include new actors.

Gotenica, November 2004

Bulgaria Bulgarian Red Cross Bulgarian Helsinki Committee

Gotenica, November 2004 Bulgaria “NGO access to closed border detention facilities in order to monitor the situation of detained asylum seekers with special attention to the detention conditions of separated asylum seeking children, refugee women and SGVB / torture victims. ICs access although in border detention facility of a closed type to specialized and adapted information on the rights, regulations, procedures and assisting NGO organizations in order to get access to the territory and the RSDP and avoid refoulement”.

Gotenica, November 2004 Bulgaria “Set up inter-agency team for monitoring border detention facilities Sensitise border police staff towards special and specific needs of vulnerable categories – women, children Letter of agreement / Plan of Action with the National Service Border Police for access to border detention facilities Start the process of setting up SGVB prevention and response mechanisms in border detention facilities”.

Gotenica, November 2004 BELARUS Belarusian Red Cross Belarusian Movement of Medical Workers/Refugee Counselling Centre

Gotenica, November 2004 Belarus Round table project: “Enhance fairness and effectiveness of asylum system; Establish contacts and mutual working relationship between border troops and NGOs; Discuss the legislative and practical possibility of signing a written Memorandum of Understanding between NGOs and State Committee of Border Troops”.

Gotenica, November 2004

Information and Cooperation Forum (ICF) 13 human rights organisations from Germany, Austria, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Slovenia within the EU project: Information and Cooperation Forum (ICF) Common European umbrella organisation: the European Council on Refugees and Exiles ICF is co-financed by the European Refugee Fund and managed by Pro Asyl e.V.

Gotenica, November 2004 Cross-border Asylum Network ICF “Strong bonds are our answer to the EU member states’ attempt to shift their responsibility for refugees further East or to regions of origin. Cross-border cooperation is our way to take responsibility for people in need of protection”.

Gotenica, November 2004 Cross-border Asylum Network Pro Asyl Fluechtlingrat Brandenburg - brandenburg.de Asylkoordination Osterreich Organization for Aid to Refugees Hungarian Helsinki Committee Halina Niec Human Rights Association

Gotenica, November 2004 Slovak Humanitarian Council Slovak Helsinki Committee Bayerischer Fluechtlingsrat Sachsischer Fluechtlingsrat Polish Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights Foundation Gea