The IOM Moscow Times International Organization for Migration
Moscow, Russia Issue 7, October 2006 12, 2-aya Zvenigorodskaya, 123100, Moscow Tel 7 (095) 797-87-22 Fax 7 (095) 253-35-22 [email protected], www.iom.int
INSIDE THIS ISSUE: • Visit of the Director General to Moscow • MTV Exit Concert, 8th September, Saint- Petersburg • Moscow Migration Research Programme (MMRP) • Presentation of “Selection of Qualified Foreign Workers” Project in Russian Federation • IOM Moscow Cultural Orientation • Moscow Migrant Processing and Movement
Ceremony of the signing of the Cooperation Agreement
The visiting IOM officials, led by the DG, participated in a one-day conference bringing together high level governmental officials of the Russian Federation, in preparation for High Level Dialogue (HLD) on Migration and Development which took place later in September VISIT OF THE DIRECTOR GENERAL TO MOSCOW 2006 in New York at the UN General Assembly.
The Director General, Mr. Brunson McKinley, together with Officials from the IOM Head Quarters in Geneva and other IOM Missions, visited Moscow on 25-27 of July 2006.
During the visit, Mr. McKinley and Mr. Nickolay Borduzha, the Director General of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), signed a cooperation agreement between the two organizations. The agreement paves the way towards enhanced cooperation on various issues such as development of legal Conference for high level Russian officials in the MFA Residence frameworks and organizational mechanisms to counter irregular migration, including combating human trafficking. It also calls for Mr. Brunson McKinley also met with the Director of the Federal participation in joint projects and trainings for law enforcement and Migration Service of the Russian Federation, Mr. Konstantin migration services of CSTO member states (Russian Federation, Romodanovsky, to discuss the prospects of future cooperation Belarus, Armenia, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and between IOM and FMS RF, as well as practical project development Uzbekistan) initiatives. Mr. Romodanovsky was one of the Russian Federation’s high level participants to the HLD on Migration and Development.
The IOM Moscow Times, Issue 7 1 Pierre Dybman, Head of Thematic Section, Institutional Reforms EU- At a meeting with the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russia Cooperation Programme, Delegation of the EC to Russia, Russian Federation Mr. Alexander Yakovenko, Mr. Brunson McKinley speaking at press-conference, emphasized that raising awareness presented the documentation referring to IOM membership as had among the young people about risks of illegal migration and illegal been requested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs which has recently job placement abroad is one of the most important stages of the CT indicated increased interest in this issue. Project. He said also that a young person must know about such an enemy as a human trafficking to be able to fight it. Mr. McKinley further discussed possible points of contact and cooperation at a meeting with the Deputy Minister for Emergency Among the other participants of the press-conference there were: Situations Mr. Yury Brazhnikov. Thomas G. Ehr and Simon Goff (MTV Europe Foundation), entertainer DJ Missill (France) and Vladimir Smirnov (press-attaché MTV EXIT CONCERT, 8th SEPTEMBER, SAINT- MTV Russia). PETERSBURG MTVEF representatives told about the MTVEXIT counter-trafficking The purpose of the event, jointly organized by MTVEF (MTV Europe music concert tour, which started in Bosnia in July, 2006 and ended Foundation) and IOM within the framework of their respective in Belarus on September, 15. MTV Concerts were organized also in projects, the MTV EXIT Campaign to End Exploitation and Trafficking Albania, Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova and Ukraine. Among the guests and “Prevention of Human Trafficking in the Russian Federation”, is of the St. Petersburg music event there were pop group “Bent” from to increase the awareness of the problem of trafficking in human Great Britain, playing instrumental electro; “Audio Bullys” (UK), in beings among young people in St. Petersburg and throughout their music they present hooligan house style, mixing house and Russia. garage; DJ Missill from France, playing different music styles; The funding for the projects and the joint concert has been provided “Legalize” (Russia) – Moscow rap-singing group. by the Swedish International Development and Cooperation Agency During the concert the volunteers from St. Petersburg NGO Crisis (Sida) and the Delegation of the European Commission to Russia, Centre for women organized the distribution of MTVEF EXIT with further funding support from the US Government’s State Campaign booklets. The booklets contain information about the Department. phenomenon of human trafficking, about the risks of becoming a victim and offer advice on protecting oneself against trafficking. The IOM Chief of Mission and the CT Project Coordinator took part in the press-conference before the MTVEXIT Concert in St. Petersburg The audience – approximately 1000 young people – came to the on 8th of September, 2006. (EXIT – End Exploitation and Trafficking – concert to listen to pop music and see popular DJs and also to name of the MTV Europe Foundation multimedia campaign to raise support the counter-trafficking event in Russia. awareness and increase prevention of the trafficking of young women for sexual exploitation in Europe)
Mark Getchell briefed the audience about recent trafficking statistics, talked about the CT Project objectives and about the phenomenon of human trafficking. Alberto Andreani, CT Project Coordinator described the project activities in detail.
MTVEF Concert in St. Petersburg
The joint MTVEF/IOM event will be filmed for broadcast on MTV Russia’s network with a potential audience of over 80 million people throughout the country.
Panel speakers during the press-conference
The IOM Moscow Times, Issue 7 2 IOM MMRP in the period of September 2005-March 2006 under IOM project “Trafficking Assessment and Counter-Trafficking Capacity Building Project for the Kaliningrad Oblast” funded by the Finish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
IOM research revealed that Kaliningrad Oblast, an exclave of Russia by the Baltic Sea, is a source, transit and destination region for transfer and trafficking of people with the purpose of their exploitation. The following forms of trafficking were found to be the most salient in Kaliningrad Oblast: 1. Export of people, especially women, including minors, for sexual exploitation from the Kaliningrad Oblast to foreign countries. Among export directions are mainly EC countries: Poland, Germany, Turkey, Greece. The most vulnerable groups in this trafficking are young girls and women from socially disadvantaged families, girls and women who are poor, unemployed, engaged in local sex industries or subjected to family violence. “BENT” – pop music group from Great Britain 2. Sexual exploitation of women, including minors, in sex business in Kaliningrad Oblast. Victims of this exploitation are both local women and children and migrants form other regions of Russia, as well as The concert in St. Petersburg will launch a joint awareness campaign from other countries, above all the CIS (Ukraine, Belarus, Moldavia, in the Russian Federation involving a series of information Uzbekistan and others). dissemination and multimedia activities aimed at educating young 3. Exploitation of slave labor, mainly of migrants, in the Oblast in people about the risks of trafficking for sexual exploitation and forced certain sectors of the economy (construction, trade at markets, labour. The campaign activities will bring into focus the problems of manufacturing of counterfeit products at underground enterprises, physical abuse, mental trauma, stigmatization in society, and the work in private households, including in villages). Victims of this form denial of basic human rights, which are the most sinister of trafficking are mainly migrants from CIS countries, recently from consequences of trafficking in humans. Central Asia in particular. 4. An oblast-specific form of trafficking for the Kaliningrad Oblast Counter-trafficking unit is glad to present CT Project includes criminal deals with sailors and persons who seek LOGO, approved by EC. employment on transport, fishing or other ships to work at sea. This area reveals large-scale deception and violation of human rights up to trade in human beings and slavery.
The research also documented, that despite of occurrences of human trafficking in the Oblast, awareness on the problem is low among specialists and officials, as well as the general public. The potential for identification of trafficking cases, work with victims and countering human trafficking by law enforcement bodies is insufficient in the Kaliningrad Oblast. Crimes related to human trafficking are not exposed or investigated. Based on the needs in the Oblast, IOM will continue its counter-trafficking activities there in order to raise IOM CT Project LOGO awareness and capacity of various entities and society as a whole to identify, prosecute and prevent trafficking cases, as well as assist IOM CT website is currently under construction and will be ready by victims of this crime. In particular, within the framework of this project, the end of October, 2006. in November 2006 IOM will conduct special trainings for experts – politicians, representatives of law-enforcement and migration-related bodies, social workers, NGOs and other interested parties.
MOSCOW MIGRATION RESEARCH PROGRAMME (MMRP) Under the project “Prevention of Human Trafficking in the RF” MMRP launched the baseline research in three pilot regions – Moscow and Moscow oblast, Astrakhan oblast and the Republic On July 5, 2006 IOM Moscow and IOM Vilnius offices presented the Karelia. The research has a comprehensive character and includes results of a special study on human trafficking in Kaliningrad Oblast. interviewing of experts, principal at-risk groups with regard to the The study was presented in the Kaliningrad Oblast Duma to local threat of trafficking, local population on its awareness of the problem, governmental officials, representatives from NGOs, media and other and analysis of various socio-economic factors in pilot regions. The interested bodies. The research with the aim to assess the scope of results of the project will assist to evaluate the situation and more trafficking to, through and from Kaliningrad Oblast was conducted by effectively implement practical project components, such as
The IOM Moscow Times, Issue 7 3 information campaign targeted at risk groups, work of Information The main aim is to open opportunities for qualified professionals, who and Consultative Centers in regions, trainings for officials, NGOs, risk meet the eligibility criteria for long-term employment in the Czech groups, etc. As an initial component of this research, special expert Republic, to obtain permanent residence. Eligible candidates, who roundtables were conducted in each region (cities of Astrakhan, have a job in the Czech Republic, can apply to the project and obtain Moscow and Petrozavodsk) in June 2006 with participation of local a permanent residence permit in the Czech Republic after two and a experts – governmental officials from relevant ministries and half years, instead of the current five. Moreover there is a possibility services, representatives of NGOs, including Diaspora organizations, to apply for permanent residency for the candidate’s spouse and business-community and journalists where the principal approaches children. The project participants enjoy a 30-day protective period in towards the problem of trafficking in pilot regions were identified and order to find a new job if they have experienced job loss through no discussed as well as some regional peculiarities. During these events fault of their own. MMRP presented the project and its particular components and welcomed any comments and ideas on its implementation. The The experts invited to the press conference representing the Federal transcript of these roundtables will be used for the analytical report Migration Service of the Russian Federation, Federal Labour and that is expected to be drafted in December 2006 -January 2007, Employment Service, the Committee of Interregional Relations and distributed among regional partners for their feedback and discussed National Policy of Moscow Government, the Institute of Migration at the final conference with participation of RF regional and federal Processes Management, and the International Association “Labour project partners as well as international stakeholders in March-April Migration” also took part in the discussion. They stressed that the 2007. project will give a chance for migrants to live and work legally in the PRESENTATION OF “SELECTION OF QUALIFIED Czech Republic and also fight against illegal migration and unreliable FOREIGN WORKERS” PROJECT IN RUSSIAN employers. However, from the point of view of public policy of Russia, FEDERATION the drain of skilled workers can’t be encouraged by the government. At the same time this project is similar to the one signed this summer In July 2006 the Government of the Czech Republic launched a Pilot by the Russian President Vladimir Putin and aimed at attracting Project on the “Selection of Qualified Foreign Workers” in the skilled workers from CIS countries with further integration to Russian Russian Federation. The implementation of this project was entrusted life and economy and eventually acquiring Russian citizenship. to the Czech Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (MLSA) and the The participants of the press conference were unanimous in International Organization for Migration in Prague. The International assessing this pilot project as interesting and important for both Organization for Migration in Moscow (IOM) will be the implementing Russian and Czech sides in sphere of migration processes partner responsible for informing the public about the project. development.
The information campaign started with the project presentation press conference organized by the International Organization for Migration in Moscow on September 5, 2006. In the course of the press conference the Project Manager of the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs of Czech Republic Ms. Zdena Caisová, the representative of IOM Prague Mr. Jan Schroth and the Vice-Consul, Head of Visa Section of the Czech Embassy in Moscow Mr. Roman Masařik presented the aims and tasks of the project.
The Logo of the Project
IOM MOSCOW CULTURAL ORIENTATION
NEW Pre-departure Program for Meskhetian Turks
In Krasnodar, in addition to CO lectures, a 5-hour pre-departure class to refresh refugees’ knowledge of the core topics right before their departure to the US was introduced. Additional information and some Czech Republic Representatives participating in the Press practical activities are included into the pre-departure training. The Conference migrants are taught to measure suitcases with a centimeter, fill out
The IOM Moscow Times, Issue 7 4 samples of Customs Declarations revising the Customs Regulations on hard currency and limits for carrying it. They also learn to convert weight and height in US measures (pounds, feet).
At every pre-departure session a short film about their flight and the use of all the facilities on the plane and in the airport is displayed. Instructors distribute Boarding Cards among the students, explaining the meaning of such words as Flight, Seat, Check-in Time, Departure Time, and Boarding Time and ask refugees to role-play different situations at the airport, transfer zones, on board the plane using their Boarding Passes/Cards. Students are taught simple phrases they might use on board the plane addressing their flight attendant with a request to, for example, choose their meat for dinner. Instructors also review the international laws travelers should observe when on board the plane, in the international airport and which federal USA laws must be followed upon arrival in the USA.
The Pre-Departure Lessons are proving extremely useful. They help CO lectures in IOM Moscow office reveal which information provided during regular CO classes has been slipped over or misinterpreted. Such gaps or misinterpretations can thus be easily reviewed with the migrants to make sure all is The two trainers also went on a mobile mission to Almaty to provide clearly understood prior to departure to the US. COA to Afghan refugees departing from Kazakhstan.
As a rule, new migrants have unrealistic expectations about their destination country. The refugees’ blinds were a bit adjusted without dispelling their hope for a better life for themselves and their families. Canadian Orientation Abroad (COA) Personal stories, funny, gripping and touching, were unearthed and shared. Let’s hope that all the participants learned a lot about their new country, adopted the right attitude and used their sometimes bitter past as a stepping stone towards a better future. IOM Moscow is happy to announce that COA Moscow is well under way and has already served the first groups of migrants who are bound for Canada.
Canadian Orientation Abroad sessions are offered to all categories of refugees approved for resettlement by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC). The eligible participants received COA in two-day sessions at the office of IOM, Moscow, Russia. COA was conducted by Stanislav Shelukhin, COA facilitator and Valeriy Kazakov, Canadian Refugee Program Assistant. Most of the participants were Afghans.
New immigrants often have unrealistic expectations about their life in Canada or hold extremely limited or wrong ideas about Canadian culture and society. They also experience a natural anxiety over parting with familiar surroundings and entering an unknown environment.
All groups were very involved in in their COA seminars. They loved it: CO lectures in Almaty having someone from the group reading their names at the beginning The sessions took place in the building of a University, which was of the session, sometimes writing on the board in English, conveniently located in one of the districts of Almaty. The facilities interpreting cultural phenomena and comparing them to their own were very suitable for such trainings. A projector and large screen as culture. All immigrants found COA program extremely useful and felt well as big speakers were used in the classroom. The IOM Moscow less anxious about their departure upon completing the program. team really enjoyed working in Kazakhstan. The staff in IOM Almaty really went out of their way to make sure that the training was carried out smoothly and effectively.
The IOM Moscow Times, Issue 7 5 MOSCOW MIGRANT PROCESSING AND MOVEMENTS
From April 1 through September 30, IOM Moscow continued its work with the Russian government, the U.S. State Department, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and various UNHCR offices and U.S. Embassies across Europe and the ex-USSR to implement its program of voluntary resettlement to the United States for migrants and refugees.
The largest group of beneficiaries resides in Krasnodar, where a temporary IOM operational presence was established in 2004 and continues to work on the Meskhetian Turk voluntary resettlement program. IOM completed receiving and screening applications, and the U.S. government has completed its interviews for this finite caseload. The final steps of each applicant's processing, including medical clearance, cultural orientation, coordination of resettlement arrangements, final clearance by US authorities and actual departure USRP Workshop in the IOM Moscow office with the U.S. Embassy are being completed as quickly as possible in close cooperation with Moscow’s Refugee Coordinator, Timothy Richardson the local government Administration. IOM MOSCOW OFFICE IOM Moscow Staff traveled to process cases, interview applicants, prepare files for interviews, and assist U.S. government officials in: On the last day of the stay in Moscow the IOM delegation led by the Baku (Azerbaijan), Chisinau (Moldova), Dushanbe (Tajikistan), DG met with the IOM Moscow staff. Florence (Italy), Tbilisi (Georgian Republic), St. Petersburg, and Valletta (Malta).
The UNHCR office in Tashkent, Uzbekistan closed in April06, and IOM anticipates working in Uzbejkistan on the resettlement of vulnerable Afghan refugees to the United States in the wake of UNHCR's departure.
Staff from the IOM offices in Almaty, Ashgabat, Baku, Bishkek, Chisinau, Dushanbe, Kiev, Krasnodar all came to Moscow in August06 for a week-long training seminar with their Moscow colleagues. They talked about their various experiences in the program, determined the best practices, and learned how to better implement the U.S. Refugee Programme.
Comprehensive statistics for the period were as follows: Applications received and processed: 6,250 individuals Presented to DHS to be interviewed: 6,941 individuals Cultural Orientation provided to: 2,373 individuals Departures to the U.S.: 5,582 individuals
The IOM Moscow Times, Issue 7 6
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