Sep 6, 2016 - during the Pre-registration campaign, as cash assistance will benefit pre-registered ... More and more peo
PWG MEETING NOTES Protection WG Meeting Meeting Subject Date, Time & place of meeting
Protection Working Group Meeting 23/08/2016, 09:00-10:30, UNHCR Athens Office Josep Herreros (UNHCR)
Meeting Chair
Tigist Girma (UNHCR) -
Meeting Co-Chair Minutes/notes prepared by Present organizations Next Meeting
Zikos Koletsis (UNHCR) CARE, Ecumenical Refugee Program, International Medical Corps, International Rescue Committee, Internews, MSF, Network for Children’s Rights, NRC, OXFAM, Salvation Army, Samaritan’s Purse, Save the Children, Solidarity Now, UNICEF, UNHCR 06/09/2016
Agenda: 1. Review of the previous PWG meeting minutes Point/details
Revision of previous PWG meeting
Status/ Deadline
Minutes were endorsed Previous PWG meeting was cancelled
Roll- out of the Cash assistance programs
Cash based assistance won’t start at the same time in all the sites, but in phases per site. NRC mentioned that tis may cause problems, as some refugees won’t understand why cash starts in some sites and others have to wait. Internews explained the problems that difficulties to roll out cash assistance in urban areas. UNICEF suggests to start at the same time cash in urban areas and in caps to avoid pull factor reactions. An additional problem is ton the people that could not be registered during the Pre-registration campaign, as cash assistance will benefit pre-registered people. It was informed that people that did not access to the pre-registration campaign may pre-registered with the skype system. Cash Assistance WG will be invited to the next PWG, they are working on public materials and information on cash assistance.
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PWG MEETING NOTES 2. New developments/info sharing/announcements from the ISWG 3. Referral of persons transferred from the islands Point/details Details/Going forward/Action points
Status/ Deadline
- National referral mechanism
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Role and strategy to be followed by the Working Groups as regards the transfers
ISWG discussed the referral pathways, the main issue is the lack of accommodation in Athens for newly arrived refugees from the islands. Problem when the refugees arrive : Not enough shelters More and more people admitted in the Asylum Service but there is no system to receive them in the mainland Change in Government’s attitude due to the pressure in the islands and the urgent need to decongest the islands. Differentiate between referrals and follow up and referrals for accommodation The first ones can be built up by humanitarian organizations while regarding the second ones there is a big gap. The main reason is the fact that accommodation remains in the hand of the government Advocate with the government, they need to come up with a national referral mechanism Question: Is there a lack of sites or not? Find ways to identify empty spaces in the sites Importance of the data of pre-registration, Press conference announcing the results Efforts to identify a new site somewhere outside Attica in order to make a big transfer of about 600-700 people. It is not yet clear how the selection will be made. The main factor that probably influence the selection are the tensions Priority to Chios, Lesvos and maybe later to Samos The government seems sceptical to involve the humanitarian actors Nothing concrete regarding the sites in Crete Persons from the islands to be transferred in an harmonized way There are transfers but only on an ad hoc basis. KEPOM does not have the capacity to do it in a systematic way. Discussion to include the national referral mechanism within the Reception and Identification Service There is no formal management in the sites. The government acknowledged there is a need but still the response is fragmented. Lack of opening to the humanitarian world that could provide valuable inputs There is no formal process and the lack of strategy this makes the situation chaotic and complicated Some people inside camps feel isolated and return in squats See where we can complement the discussion and put it forward Start with the health sector and then with the site management Working Group. Figure out how what is the contribution of the Protection working group How will be the referral pathway? Who should be in charge of that? For the moment there is no big influx in the islands Reactivate plan around Piraeus, coordinate with port authorities and with the islands Police sometimes stops refugees from boarding Communicate to the authorities a list of people travelling, Page 2 of 4
Pending
PWG MEETING NOTES have someone in each of receiving and departure points, organize information sessions Someone in charge who knows who is coming, who goes to the hospital and who goes to the sites Take this idea to a smaller working group including organizations working in psychosocial referrals. UNHCR, UNICEF, CWC, CARE, NOSTOS, MSF will participate. IOM will be invited The meeting will take place in the Attica office on Thursday at 16.30. Tigist will send a template and a simple guideline
4. Updates from CwC (connectivity): challenging in the dispatch of messaging Point/details
Details/Going forward/Action points
Status/ Deadline
-
SMS for final appointments
The company that undertook the mission is pushing a bit the delivery and this creates problems. The full list is not yet ready. The full list of September is expected to be sent today and by the end of the week it is expected to have sent all the SMS. Try always to send them at least three days before the appointment Idea of printing the list and put it in the sites. Not possible because the final version is still lacking. The first month is the most challenging. Probably post the list on the Asylum Service website.
5. Feedback on (review of) the Contingency plans (capacity and gaps) analysis Point/details Details/Going forward/Action points -
Contingency plan at the national level
Status/ Deadline
The last contingency plan was drafted on July and needs to be renewed. The gaps are not clearly stated. Include key protection activities and then share them with the regional. Capacity to the rest of the Working groups Need in Lesvos in terms of contingency plan (example of 150 unaccompanied minors) Discuss with the ISWG about specific guidelines Look at the gaps –Is there a national capacity to cover them?-
6. Activity Info: What is next? Reporting schedules and retroactive reporting Point/details Details/Going forward/Action points
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Training of the Information Unit/ Structure of the PWG
Status/ Deadline
The training of the Information Unit is still offered Automatic reporting mechanism, Retroactive system from January to June Protection remains the weakest sector in terms of reporting Encouragement to be trained and to report Issue of structure of the Protection Working Group and of the meetings Information sharing or working? Create mini teams on specific issues. Identify a focal person or one mail per organisation. Page 3 of 4
PWG MEETING NOTES Once per month information sharing meeting (last Tuesday of the month) The smaller group every two weeks (first and third week of the month) Invite and get feedback, Clean the list
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Actions to be undertaken against racist incidents
Next: Give half an hour to the Network against Racism and Xenophobia Concerning situation in Leros because authorities have separated nationalities Bring this up to the highest level Update and send the page with all the Protection actors regarding legal aid (a written brief) Workshop on urban refugees for Athens ad Thessaloniki Bring these issues also to the Attica Working Group
7. AoB and wrap-up Point/details Details/Going forward/Action points
Status/ Deadline
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