Tuesday 7 October 2003

Press Briefing Notes
Tuesday 7 October 2003
Spokesperson: Niurka Piñeiro

ITALY - Working Visit of Director General to Discuss Migration Issues
ARMENIA - Counter Trafficking Activities
IRAN - Academy for Migration Studies
TURKMENISTAN - IOM Signs MoU with Justice Ministry


ITALY - Working Visit of Director General to Discuss Migration Issues - IOM Director General, Brunson McKinley visited
Rome yesterday and met with State Secretary of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Hon. Mario Baccini and senior officials of that Ministry.

During the one-day working visit, McKinley thanked the Italian government for its recent contributions aimed at strengthening IOM's capacity to effectively respond to migration challenges in the Balkans and the Mediterranean region. He emphasized IOM's strong desire to continue the cooperation established with the Italian government in addressing migration issues at the national and international levels.

Of particular importance to Italy, currently in its EU presidency semester, is the multilateral debate on migration in the Mediterranean region, and the need to seek common responses to migration challenges faced by countries on its southern and northern shores. In this respect, IOM's role as a facilitator of the organization of the upcoming Ministerial Conference on Migration Management in the Mediterranean, part of the so called "5+5 Dialogue", to be held in Rabat on 22-23 October 2003, was extremely valued and appreciated.

The Director General also attended the official opening of the new IOM office of the Decentralized Intervention System (DIS), set up as part of an agreement signed by IOM and the National Association of Italian Municipalities (ANCI) in June. McKinley said, "This agreement highlights how Italy is decentralizing its integration support in favour of refugees, asylum seekers and migrants in general, and appropriately tying in the municipalities. Local entities play a crucial role in promoting an effective and consistent migration policy."

DIS, to be managed by IOM and coordinated by a joint ANCI/IOM committee, will also address issues including the protection of the rights of migrants and recognition of their contribution to Italian society.

McKinley also met with the Albanian Minister of Labour, Mrs.Afërdita Leskaj. They discussed the ongoing and expanding cooperation of IOM and Albania as well as relations between Albania and Italy, which IOM aims to foster on migration management.

For further information contact IOM Rome: Monica Goracci Tel: 39 06 44 186 224 mgoracci@iom.int or Giulia Falzoi, Teel: 39 06 44 186 208 gfalzoi@iom.int

ARMENIA - Counter-Trafficking Activities - The IOM office in Yerevan has received a US$170,000 contribution from the US Government to carry out two counter-trafficking projects aimed at strengthening the capacity of consular personnel to deal with cases of human trafficking and increasing the capacity of a national NGO that provides shelter, support and counselling to victims.

As concerns irregular migration, Armenia is a country of origin, and to a much smaller extent, of transit. Conservative estimates report that of a total population of less than four million, 800,000 to one million persons have left country, legally or illegally. This massive outflow is mainly due to high unemployment and the impoverishment of the population, as well as cuts in social spending.

IOM's comprehensive studies on trafficking and irregular migration in Armenia also indicate that trafficking is still an underestimated issue. Data collected from interviews with victims of trafficking and other sources suggests that Armenian women are lured by dubious job offers to countries such as Russia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Greece and Turkey.

Information gathered in destination countries suggests that there is a need to sensitize and train staff of Armenian diplomatic missions so they can help Armenians abroad, including victims of trafficking.

The Consular Officer Capacity Building project, to be carried out with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, will focus on:

Prevention of trafficking and its consequences through awareness raising amongst potential victims in the countries of destination;
Assessment and determination of the status of potential and actual victims in the countries of destination; and
Provision of swift, appropriate and professional assistance to victims of trafficking seeking support from Armenian diplomatic missions.





The second project is aimed at building the capacity of an Armenian NGO that helps women trapped in the sex industry, such as victims
of trafficking. This NGO will provide support services via a hotline, a safe shelter and medical and psychological support.

In cooperation with the IOM offices in Moscow and Almaty, IOM Yerevan last week organized the return of two Uzbek victims of trafficking stranded in Armenia. In Uzbekistan, the two women will be assisted by the NGO Istiqboli Avlod (Future Generation), which recently organized a seminar with the Uzbek Government on ways to prevent human trafficking. During the seminar, the authorities pledged to step up efforts to combat trafficking through a comprehensive plan of action.

The women had been trafficked to the Middle East; one to Israel via Moscow and Cairo, and the other with false travel documents via Yerevan to the UAE. The young woman trafficked to Israel managed to escape and reach the nearest embassy, which happened to be Armenian. She claimed to be Armenian and was issued a travel document and a ticket by the Armenian consulate. This act of solidarity highlights the important role diplomatic missions play helping migrants in distress.

For more information, contact Martin Wyss, IOM Yerevan, Tel: 374 1 58 56 92 Mobile: 374 9 40 06 21.

IRAN - Academy for Migration Studies - IOM has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Iran to set up an Academy of Migration and Refugee Studies in Tehran. The agreement was signed in Geneva by IOM Director General Brunson McKinley and Iranian Deputy Interior Minister Gholam Hossein Bolandian on Friday.

The Academy, which will operate from the Political Affairs Training Institute of the Iranian Interior Ministry, will have as its main objectives the strengthening of the Iranian government's capacity to manage migration and refugee issues; and facilitating the formulation of related legislation and policies.

It will be an independent academic entity, conducting research, delivering training courses, hosting seminars and facilitating ongoing communication between governments in the region on migration management and refugee issues.

The Academy will be overseen by a Board of Trustees, to include representatives of the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, IOM and academia.

TURKMENISTAN - IOM Signs MoU with Justice Ministry - IOM Ashgabat has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Turkmenistan's Justice Ministry to work towards bringing the country's migration management legislation and law enforcement practices into line with international norms.

Under the agreement, IOM will help the Ministry to develop a Legal Information Center that will provide information on relevant legislation in foreign countries and international legal instruments to government institutions, lawyers and law students.

IOM also plans to work with the Ministry to organize an international seminar on the protection of the rights of women and children, with emphasis on combating illegal migration and human trafficking. The seminar will represent a first step towards an international conference on the same topic that the Turkmen government is hoping to host in Ashgabat next year.

Under the MoU, IOM and the Ministry of Justice will also prepare and publish two books, one on "Migration Legislation and Normative Acts of the CIS Countries" and the other on " International Legal Documents (Conventions, Treaties and Agreements) of which Turkmenistan is a Party". The books will be published in Turkmen and Russian.

IOM Ashgabat will also help the Ministry of Justice to acquire literature and periodicals on humanitarian law, migration legislation, migration management and various other migration issues. IOM also plans to conduct a round of seminars in Ashgabat and the welayats (provinces) of Turkmenistan on protection of rights of foreign citizens in Turkmenistan and on irregular migration.