On July 15, Human Rights defender of the Republic of Armenia Kristinne Grigoryan was gave an opening speech at the opening meeting of stakeholders entitled "Comprehensive Reform of Legislation on International Protection" held within the framework of “Strengthening Migration Management Capacities in Support of Government Reform Agenda in Line with CEPA” project.
In her speech, the Defender noted that the issues on protection of the rights of asylum seekers and refugees were addressed in almost all annual reports of the Human Rights Defender, including in the ad hoc report related to the field.
Inter alia, Kristinne Grigoryan raised the gaps related to legal protection, in both legislative and practical ways to ensure that protection and emphasized that the launched legislative reforms should address such important issues as ensuring the principle of non-refoulement of asylum seekers regardless of receiving refugee status, the legal and practical provision of the free translation by all state bodies in contact with asylum seekers, including border guards, police, penitentiary administration, etc.
Defender Grigoryan also referred to the recent visit to the “Special Shelter” SNPO of Migration Service of Armenia, during which the conformity of the services provided by the shelter to the standards of international and domestic legislation, and the living and sanitary-hygienic conditions of the shelter were studied, as well as private interviews were held with the asylum seekers living in the shelter, its staff, and the Head of the Migration Service.
The Defender noted that it is necessary to provide sufficient financial resources as a priority to comprehensively and institutionally address the raised issues.
At the end of the speech, Kristinne Grigoryan expressed her willingness to support the implementation of legislative reforms, within the framework whereof the representative of the Defender’s Office will also participate in the activities of interagency working group.
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