The project “Migration Network for Asylum Seekers and Refugees in Europe and Turkey” is implemented by the Athens Network of Collaborating Experts, an NGO based in Athens in partnership with three organisations in Turkey, the Global Political Trends Center at the Istanbul Kültür University (IKY-GPoT), the Human Resource Development Foundation (HRDF) and the Association for Solidarity with Asylum Seekers and Migrants (ASAM). The project is supported by the Civil Society Dialogue Programme and is financed by the European Union and the Republic of Turkey.
The aim of the project is to facilitate and to enhance the cooperation of civil society organisations in EU and Turkey in order to develop a common approach regarding the management of migration flows.
Since its start in February 2016 until today, the following activities have been implemented: four raising awareness events involving local communities at migrant and refugee entry points in Greece and in Turkey (Edirne, Sanliurfa, Gaziantep, Mytilini), a two day networking workshop in Athens with the participation of Greek and Turkish NGOs, with the aim to strengthen the cooperation in addressing common problems stemming from migration and refugee flows and a two day thematic workshop in Istanbul focusing on the role of civil society in refugee crisis.
In parallel, a study has been conducted with a view to develop a common system for the collection, analysis and access to reliable data on migrants and refugees. The results of the study can serve as a useful tool in the formulation of rights-based migration policies in the European Union and in Turkey.
For the upcoming months and until the completion of the project in April 2017, raising awareness and training activities will take place. More specifically, the following activities will be implemented: a) Seminars to public officials in Turkey (police officers, coast and border guards, staff at detention centres) aiming at enhancing their capacity and advancing their knowledge to better provide the necessary services to migrants and refugees, b) seminars to staff in removal centres in Turkey focusing on fundamental human rights, the application of the relevant Turkish law, with the participation of Bar Associations working on the Law of refugees, c) orientation seminars for refugees, particularly for women and children refugees aiming at improving their daily life. In addition, the second thematic workshop and the final conference of the project will take place in Istanbul.
You can find more information on the project on its website at: http://migrationnetworkproject.eu or you can visit our social media: https://www.facebook.com/Migration-Network-in-Europe-and-Turkey-Project-235775833451404/
