Working Group on Migration & Refugees

Migration & Refugees Working Group Meeting in Cairo (October 2007)

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20th October 2007, AHRLA (Association for Human Rights and Legal Aid) and CTWUS (Centre for Trade Union Workers Services) members appealed against the decision of the Ministry of Social Affairs to dissolve their associations. The working group was present at the administrative court where they held demonstrations (See photos below). The court’s decision will be made known on the 4th of November 2007.


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Objectives of the Working Group
  • Strengthening NGO networking related to forced migration, refugees and asylum seekers
  • promoting approaches taking due consideration of the necessity to respect international protection standards for asylum seekers and migrants’ rights.


Activities


The question of the rights of Migrants, Asylum Seekers and Refugees is a key issue for the Network and the EMHRN has over the years conducted several missions and in 2001 took the lead in organising a regional seminar in Trieste, Italy, on these questions.
In 2005 funds became available through the UNHCR to establish a working group and develop regional work of the EMHRN on the rights of Migrants, Asylum Seekers and Refugees. The project at present concerns mainly North Africa and the Machrek in terms of research, but issues pertaining to Turkey and to European policies are also dealt with. the activities consist in:
  • Researching and writing a reports on the experience of forced migrants and asylum seekers in traveling through North Africa, as well as the Machreq, and coming to Europe.
  • Researching and writing a report surveying NGO presence and activities in relation to forced migrants and asylum seekers, as well as the legal and practical environment in which the NGOs act. 
  • Researching reports on violence against women in migration and on economic and social rights relating to migration and the Barcelona process
Strengthening regional networking on forced migration and asylum seekers by gathering human rights NGOs, refugee councils, migrant and refugee organisations working on North Africa and the movement of people in the EuroMed region.



WG Members


Committee for the Respect of Freedom and Human Rights in Tunisia Tarik Bin Hiba
Individual member Samira Trad
Libyan League for Human Rights Sliman Bouchuiguir
National Council for Freedom in Tunisia Sihem Bensedrine
Palestinian Human Rights Organisation Roula Badran
Tunisian League for Human Rights Neji Marzouk
Algerian League for the Defence of Human Rights  Boudjema Redouane
Tunisian Association of Democratic Women Hafidha Chékir 
Moroccan Organisation of Human Rights Abdellatif Chahboun
Moroccan Association of Human RIghts  Amine Abdelhamid 
Espace Associatif Saddik Lahrach
Democratic Association of Moroccan Women Nouzha Lamrani
Italian Refugee Council Christopher Hein
Human Rights League Catherine Teule
Swedish Refugee Aid Borje Sjokvist
Tampere Peace Research Institute Anitta Kynsilehto

International Association for the Protection of Human Rights in Cyprus

Eleftherios Eleftheriou
Greek Committee for International Democratic Solidarity Marie Lavrentiadou 
ACSUR - Las Segovias Ana Garcia-Caro Sanchez


This project is run from the EMHRN Project Office in Rabat, Morocco. For more info, contact the WG Coordinator, Chadi Sidhom.