7th Meeting of the Council of Europe Network of Focal Points on Migration (NFPM)

1 June 2023 (9.30am – 4.30 pm) and 2 June 2023 (9.30am – 12.30pm)

Hybrid meeting

(Room G02, Agora, Council of Europe, Strasbourg and by Zoom)

Annotated agenda

9:30 – 9:45

1.     Opening of the meeting by Leyla Kayacik, Special Representative of the Secretary General on Migration and Refugees (SRSG), and Chair of the Network of Focal Points on Migration

9:45 – 11:00

2.     Presentation of new Council of Europe standards and tools relevant for migrants and refugees - and information on relevant ongoing activities

-         Recommendation CM/Rec(2022)22 of the Committee of Ministers to member States on human rights principles and guidelines on age assessment in the context of migration

Presented by Maria Asensio Velasco, Children’s rights Division

This Recommendation, adopted by the Committee of Ministers in December 2022, is the first international legal instrument setting human rights standards on age assessment in the context of migration. It takes into account the particular vulnerability of refugee and migrant children, in particular with regard to violence, exploitation, abuse and/or trafficking. 

The presentation will be followed by an exchange of views.

11:00 – 11:30 – Coffee break

11:30 – 12:30

3.     Assessment of the implementation of the 2019 CM Recommendation on guardianship in a migration context (Children's Rights Division)

This discussion will begin with a presentation by Adolfo Sommaribas of the activities of the European Migration Network (EMN) relevant to persons fleeing Ukraine, especially children

The Focal Points are invited to focus on the situation of children from Ukraine, based on the following questions:

1-    What are the main challenges your country is faced with when receiving children fleeing/having fled Ukraine?

2-    Is there any available data at national level on how many children were registered in your country since the beginning of the aggression against Ukraine? How many are still present on your territory at the moment?

3-    Is there any available data on how many are unaccompanied or separated?

12:30 – Family photo

12:35 – 14:00 – Lunch break

14:00 – 15:30 – 1.            Update from Focal Points on the situation related to persons fleeing Ukraine

15:30 – 15:45 – Coffee break

15:45 – 16:30

4.     Overview of questions raised by execution of judgments of the European Court of Human Rights, in the fields of migration and asylum in the year 2023

Presented by Nikolaos Sitaropoulos,

Department for the Execution of Judgments of the ECtHR

FF

16:30 – Closing of day 1

17:00 – Reception at the residence of the Permanent representative of Portugal

Ambassador Patrick Engelberg, Permanent representative of Luxembourg to the Council of Europe will host a reception at his residence for the Focal Points, together with ambassadors, permanent representatives

9:30 – 10:30

5.     The notion of safe third countries for asylum seekers

Thomas Straub, registry of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR)

Stephanie Krisper, member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (Committee on Migration, Refugees, and Displaced Persons), rapporteur on the resolution and recommendation “Safe Third Countries for Asylum Seekers”

In October 2022, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe adopted both a resolution and a recommendation on the notion “Safe Third Countries for Asylum Seekers”. In paragraph 12. of the resolution, the Assembly “invites the Special Representative of the Secretary General of the Council of Europe on Migration and Refugees to support greater co-ordination and co-operation among member States in applying the safe third country concept in the context of asylum”.

As a follow-up to this call, the SRSG invited Mrs Stephanie Krisper to present her report and the challenges regarding the notion of safe third country to the network of Focal Points. Mr Thomas Straub, from the Registry of the ECtHR, will make a prior presentation of the ECtHR’s case-law in this field.

These presentations will be followed by an exchange of views.

10:30 – 11:00

6.     First interim report on the implementation of the CoE Action Plan on Protecting Vulnerable Persons in the Context of Migration and Asylum in Europe (2021-2025)

-         Vedran Ian-Kjeldsen, Senior Programme Officer, SRSG Office

11:00 – 11:15 – Coffee break

11:15 -12:00

7.     Updates from Focal Points on recent legal/policy developments in their country concerning the protection of the rights of vulnerable persons in the context of migration and asylum

-         Türkiye will take the floor in particular on migration challenges and needs resulting from the recent earthquake.

12:00 – 12:15

8.     Preparation of the next meeting in December 2023

12:15 – 12:30

9.     Any other business

10.                       Closing of the meeting