The workshop titled "Limitations and opportunities.
Challenges of refugees and asylum seekers in Armenia", organized by the
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the
Human Rights Defender of Armenia was held on November 19.
The Human Rights Defender Ms. Anahit Manasyan and
Officer-in-Charge of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in Armenia Ms.
Monica Sandri gave an opening speech.
Ms. Anahit Manasyan mentioned that although the problems
associated with refugees in the human rights protection system are among the
most important, however, they are often not given due attention.
"All issues related to the protection of the rights
of refugees are under my immediate attention. The people forcibly displaced
from Nagorno-Karabakh for a separate group, the protection and promotion of
whose rights is also of paramount importance to me. It is very important that
the State ensures the rights of refugees in an adequate manner, especially in
the context of protecting the health of refugees, ensuring the right to
education, employment opportunities and security" stated Ms. Anahit
Manasyan.
The event was attended by deputies of the National
Assembly, Deputies of the Ministers of Health, and Labour and Social Affairs,
Heads and representatives of diplomatic missions accredited in Armenia,
representatives of the Human Rights Defender’s Office, representatives from the
MIA Migration and Citizenship Service, and Unified Social Service,
"Mission Armenia" NGO who work with refugees, representatives from
civil society, and refugees and forcibly displaced persons.
During the workshop, a panel discussion was held titled
"Current Human Rights Situation of Refugees in Armenia".
The participants touched upon the main problems related
to the protection of the rights of refugees and best practices in overcoming
them, to the achievements and existing challenges in the field of human rights
of the refugees, to the current state of protection of their rights in our
country, and the gaps in legislation.
It should be highlighted that refugees and forcibly
displaced persons, who were invited to the workshop, spoke about their
problems. We consider it necessary to emphasize that issues related to the
protection of the rights of refugees and asylum seekers were addressed in the
annual report of the Human Rights Defender of Armenia. Analysis of the
legislation related to the provision and protection of the rights of the latter
indicate that the problems, being of a systemic nature, continue to remain
relevant and are under the attention of the Defender.
Furthermore, the workshop participants presented the
currently operating mechanisms for housing provision and social protection,
access to the labour market, as well as the importance of promoting refugee
inclusion and exchanging integration experiences.
At the conclusion of the meeting, Ms. Anahit Manasyan
expressed gratitude to those organizations, state authorities and individuals,
international organizations and foreign partners who are committed to resolving
the issues in the field of protecting the rights of refugees and vulnerable
groups.
The Human Rights Defender emphasized that the human
rights protection system can only be improved as a result of joint work,
specifically emphasizing that the proper integration of displaced persons or
refugees is possible only in a collaborative environment.
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