Apr
10
2018
The Principle of Non-refoulement vis-à-vis State Response to Irregular Migration – Towards an Effective Protection of Refugee and Migrant Rights under the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR)
On 3-5th April 2018 in Dojran the Macedonian Young Lawyers Association (MYLA) with the support of the Council of Europe, held a training-seminar on the topic “The Principle of Non-refoulement vis-à-vis State Response to Irregular Migration – Towards an Effective Protection of Refugee and Migrant Rights under the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR)”.
In the course of two days we talked about the principle of non-refoulement and the scope of its application as developed by the case-law of the European Court of Human Rights. Points for discussion were particularly the prohibition of collective expulsion of aliens and the standards for restriction of the freedom of movement of asylum seekers and aliens.
The seminar aimed at strengthening the knowledge and expertise of the representatives of relevant ministries, administrative courts and the prosecution office, as well as the lawyers from MYLA. Mr. Dmytro Tretiakov, lawyer at the European Court of Human Rights, Ms. Jutta Seidel, Senior Legal Associate at UNHCR Representation to the European Institutions in Strasbourg and Ms. Ivana Roagna, Human Rights Lawyer shared their experiences and knowledge.
During the panel discussions on the second day, we discussed the legal framework and practices of expulsion and forced return of aliens, as well as the detention of foreigners for immigration purposes in Macedonia. The new legislative changes related to limitation of the freedom of movement of asylum seekers were also considered.
As panelists during the first panel on the topic of expulsion and forced return of foreigners, we had Mr. Nikola Mircevski, Head of Sector for Border Operations at the Ministry of Interior, Ms. Slavica Cubric, Project Officer at the Council of Europe and Mr. Zoran Drangovski, President of MYLA. On the topic of detention of foreigners and asylum seekers in Macedonia we talked with the panelists Mr. Nikola Mirchevski, Head of the Sector for Border Operations at the Ministry of Interior, Ms. Bratka Dejanoska Milchevska, Head of the Sector for Asylum at the Ministry of Interior, Ms. Snezana Teodosievska Jordanovska, State Counsellor at the Ombudsman of RM and Mr. Mitko Kiprovski, Project Officer at MYLA. The seminar ended with presentation of HELP program of the Council of Europe and introduction to the HELP/UNHCR course “Asylum and ECHR”.
The seminar on “The Principle of Non-refoulement vis-à-vis State Response to Irregular Migration – Towards an Effective Protection of Refugee and Migrant Rights under the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR)” advocates for effective protection of the rights of refugees and migrants according to the European Convention on Human Rights. The seminar was made possible with the support of the Council of Europe.
