Almaty – On September 6-8, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Dignity and Rights project, implemented by International Organization for Migration/The UN Migration Agency, Sub Regional Coordination Office for Central Asia, has conducted a Regional training for partner NGOs on “Providing Direct Assistance to Vulnerable Migrants in Central Asia” on September 6 – 8, 2017 in Almaty, Republic of Kazakhstan.

IOM Sub-Regional Coordination Office for Central Asia gathered for this training IOM partner NGOs engaged in protection of migrants’ rights, Employment Centers, local authorities as well as direct beneficiaries of the programs and migrant community leaders from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. IOM experts and staff from the regional missions responsible for providing direct assistance and protection to migrants and from IOM Headquarters, Geneva and IOM Turkey have conducted sessions and coordinated interactive group exercises of the training.

The regional NGO training aimed to build capacity of the partner NGOs in understanding vulnerabilities of Central Asian migrants and their immediate/integration/reintegration needs as well as in providing direct assistance to vulnerable migrants both in the countries of destination and origin in a manner that compliments national capacities.

Specifically, this training provided an overview of the dynamics of human mobility in other contexts and of labor migration within and out of Central Asia, demonstrating multiple consequences of the current economic downturn and application of re-entry bans in Russia and its impact on Central Asia. It also identified migrants’ vulnerabilities and their immediate and integration/re-integration needs in the Central Asian region; discussed current legal obligations (international, intraregional and national) for vulnerable categories of migrants; mapped available services, systems and other stakeholders in place to address the needs of the different identified categories of vulnerable migrants. This discussion was situated in the larger context of human mobility, particularly of Turkey’s experience in integration of Syrian refugees and IOM’s framework of vulnerability and integrated approach to reintegration of migrants (IOM HQ).

Moreover, participating NGOs presented and shared their experience and knowledge about Central Asian migrants’ needs and contributed to IOM’s understanding and future programmatic planning and approach to addressing vulnerabilities of migrants. They were also familiarized with existing IOM’s programs and other stakeholders’ services dedicated to addressing needs of vulnerable migrants in the region and received detailed guidelines for identification of vulnerable migrants and for providing direct assistance to them both in the countries of destination and origin. Finally yet importantly, direct beneficiaries of IOM’s programs shared their experiences and provided their inputs to the discussions on migrants’ vulnerabilities, needs and services.

According to the results of the pre-, post-tests, and evaluation questionnaire with open-ended questions, participants of the training increased their knowledge of the reasons of the re-entry bans to re-enter the Russian Federation issued to Central Asian migrants, re-entry banned and other vulnerable migrants’ immediate/integration/reintegration needs both in the countries of origin and destination. Generally, they found the training highly interesting and useful for their work they conduct with vulnerable migrants, specifically in identifying their immediate/integration/reintegration needs and providing for them direct assistance through existing direct assistance programs of IOM and available state services. Participants also stated that the training provided for them opportunity to network with colleagues from other countries in the region and to learn about international practices in addressing vulnerable migrants’ needs.

The Dignity and Rights Project, which aims to advance human rights and dignity in Central Asia as an issue of public policy and civic culture, is one of the many assistance projects made possible by the American people though the USAID in Central Asia. The sessions dedicated to vulnerabilities and integration/reintegration needs of Central Asian migrants are based on findings and recommendations of IOM’s regional assessments on Migrant Vulnerabilities and Integration Needs in Central Asia conducted in 2016 and 2017.

The workshop took place at the Conference Hall “Saltanat” of Grand Tien Shan, 115, Bogenbay Batyr Street, Almaty, Kazakhstan on 6 – 8 September 2017.

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For additional information, you can contact IOM Sub-regional coordination office for Central Asia at: +77272582240 (ext. 104) or iomalmaty@iom.intDownload Concept Note and Agenda