ABOUT EVENT

The workshop will take place one day before the Asylum and Migration Working Group meeting (26 April 2019).

Background

European National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) face increased challenges when working on asylum and migration. National governments and other public authorities are often unwilling to cooperate with NHRIs in this area. In some cases, NHRIs have even been denied access to documents when investigating violation of migrants’ rights, despite being legally vested with such powers.

Where governments have adopted a clear “anti-migrant” stance, both in discourse and in practice through the adoption of legislation and policies, NHRIs can face great obstacles in monitoring, reporting and ensuring follow-up to their recommendations on asylum and migration issues. In some countries, the lack of public support for the work of NHRIs on asylum and migration can be an additional barrier when fulfilling NHRIs broad human rights mandate under the Paris Principles.

About the workshop

The primary objective of this workshop is to enhance the capacities of European NHRIs to monitor and report on asylum and migration issues, with a focus on communicating this work to the general public.

Through the exchange of good practices, NHRI participants can enhance their capacities to communicate about migrants’ rights at the national level. They will also increase their knowledge on the external support they can seek when facing challenges working on asylum and migration issues. Through thematic-specific sessions, participants will also exchange with peers and external speakers about good practices with regard to monitoring and reporting on the rights of migrant children and on the situation at the borders.

The workshop will combine mixed panels and work in small groups. This will allow for dynamic discussion and sharing of information, while including practical tools and guidance from experts and relevant stakeholders.

For more information on the workshop, please contact Gabriel Almeida (gabriel.almeida@ennhri.org) and Sophie Hale (sophie.hale@ennhri.org) at the ENNHRI Secretariat.

This workshop falls under ENNHRI’s objective to “build NHRI capacities to effect change at national level”, contributing to a more effective promotion and protection of human rights in Europe.

» Download the workshop concept note 
» Learn more about the Asylum and Migration Working Group
» Read about outcomes of the last meeting of the Asylum & Migration Working Group in November 2018