Transcript ICF Social Counselling

Cross-border cooperation is our way to take responsibility for refugees
The Information and Cooperation Forum (ICF)
Presents:
Cross-border asylum network
Reception Conditions for Asylum Seekers in
Europe
materials for a better practice
Cross-border cooperation is our way to take responsibility for refugees
ICF: NGOs from Germany, Austria,
Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic,
Slovakia and Slovenia
Targets:
 improvement of reception conditions in the Member States of the
European Union
 cooperation, qualification, lobbying
Issues:
 accommodation
 social benefits (including withdrawal and Dublin II cases)
 medical care
 access to labour and education / training
 social work and social counselling
 freedom of movement
 participation of refugees
Cross-border cooperation is our way to take responsibility for refugees
The EU Council Directive 2003/9/EC of 27 January
2003 on Minimum Standards of Reception
Conditons for Asylum Seekers
 the implementation: harmonisation or
downgrading?
 why improvement of reception conditions?
Cross-border cooperation is our way to take responsibility for refugees
1.
Social Counselling*
 in need for professional assistance
 the EU Council Directive 2003/9/EC
on social counselling
– Exception? - asylum seekers in detention
*Under the ICF lead agency of
Asylkoordination Austria
Cross-border cooperation is our way to take responsibility for refugees
2. The Tasks of Social Counselling
 counselling regarding
the asylum procedure
 social counselling
 monitoring
 assistance to integration
 supporting the acceptance
of refugees in the receiving country
Cross-border cooperation is our way to take responsibility for refugees
3. Conditions for a competent
social assistance
 accessability of services
 social assistance in the reception facility
 proportionality of social assistance regarding
the numbers of asylum seekers
 comprehension and communication
Cross-border cooperation is our way to take responsibility for refugees
4.
Perspectives
 counselling and assistance is often limited by legal
restrictions imposed on asylum seekers
 assistance towards a legal status and integration into
the host society decreases and is soon to be outrun
by return counselling
Cross-border cooperation is our way to take responsibility for refugees
5. Recommendations

counselling should start at the very beginning an asylum seeker enters a country and
the procedure

access to counselling has to be granted

reception is an obligation to the state. NGOs can play an important role to facilitate
reception and integration into the host society

free access to all sorts of reception centres has to be granted to UNHCR and NGOs for
monitoring the reception conditions

counselling and assistance has to be in the sole interest of the asylum seekers.

assistance has to meet professional standards and qualifications

the number of staff for counselling and assistance has to match the demand of
clients.
Cross-border cooperation is our way to take responsibility for refugees
THANK YOU!
For further information please contact
[email protected]