IOM #Norway Newsletter (September 2014)

IOM Norway Sustainable Migration Governance

Newsletter (September 2014)

#Migration Means is an IOM Twitter campaign which aims to uncover what migration means to people across the globe. We asked people on the streets of Oslo and Kristiansand what it meant to them (above).

Join our campaign and tweet what migration means to you. www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=641141145969587

Address: Skippergata 33 Tel: +47 2310 5320 www.iom.no

Norway Update VARP Statistics

A total of 396 beneficiaries were asssisted for the months of April, May June. The discrepency between the numbers of applications and departures can be explained, in part, by the VARP process. Approximately 65% of IOM Norway’s applicants do not have valid passports, and acquiring a valid travel document can be a lengthy process.

A process that impacts the ratio of applications to departueres in a given period.

Application and Departure April, May and June 2014 700

600

574

500

396

400

300 216

IOM Norway has implemented the fast track process which aims to cut waiting times for beneficiaries who have valid documents. Although in its infancy, the fast track process is helping beneficieries return faster than ever before.

183

175 142

134

120

100

0

April

May

June

Total

Application

175

216

183

574

Departure

142

134

120

396

Afghanistan 2 Bangladesh 7 Iraq 4 India 2 Philippines 5 Russia 3 Sudan 2 Chile 1 Uzbekistan 1 Pakistan 2 Ethiopia 5 Palastine 1 Jamaica 1 Ukraine 1 Albania 1 Nigeria 1 Belarus 1 Iran 1 Nepal 1 Vietnam 1

Fast track overview April-Aug 2014

April - July 2014

Fast Track: Destinations of Return Nepal 2% Nigeria Vietnam Afghanistan 2 % Belarus Iran 5% 2% Ukraine Albania 2% 2% Jamaica 2 % 2% 2%

Bangladesh 16 %

Ethiopia 12 % Iraq 9% India 5%

Russia 7%

Pakistan 5 % Uzbekistan Chile 2% 2%

1

3-4 days

Palestine 2%

5-6 days

10

7-8 days

10 6

9-10 days

9

11-13 days

3

14-16 days

4

17-18 days 0

Philippines 12 %

Sudan 5%

ERAS Festival

IOM attended this year’s ERAS festival on 23 & 24 August. The event a highlight in Oslo’s cultural calender - saw Afghan dancers sharing the same stage as Filipino singers; Chilean puppeteers entertained children, whilst Ukranians proudly wore their national costume. Nestled somewhwere inbetween was the IOM stand.

“It was a fun packed two days,” said Outreach Officer, Hedda Wingerei.

“People came over to our stand, they asked us what we do, and who we are.”

“Some people came up to us and said, you send people home, dont you?

We explained the voluntary assisted return programme to them, and how it benefits migrants who choose to return,” said IOM’s Outreach officer.

IOM wwill also be at the OXLO festival in Oslo (12 September), and the Barnas Verdensdager in Ås (21 September). ©IOM Norway

In addition to raising IOM’s profile, it was an opportunity to clear up some misconceptions.

ERAS video www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nkYLG_KRCo&feature=youtube_gdata

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Fast Track processing days from Application - Departure

Number of week days

200

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Number of persons returned

MiMOSA software launch in September IOM will implement the use of it’s global MiMOSA database this September. The software aims to improve communication and efficiency across the organisation.

Elin Hauge, Reintegration cordinator believes that, “MiMOSA also offers vast opportunities in terms of the compilation of statistical reports on AVRR on country-specific, regional and global trends which will serve as an invaluable tool for IOM missions seeking to include more comprehensive data in their reporting and information materials.”

Damtew Ayele’s Last Wish to Return Home musical event to get a beloved singer home. People came together for the music and to show respect. As Damtew arrived to say thank you and to take what would be his last stage, he was visibly shaken by the outpouring of the community.

©Ayele family

Damtew Ayele was a famous Ethiopian musician. Ethiopian music is a dynamic whirlwind of colour, enthusiasm and life.

Sufi traditionalism and Christian liturgical music rub freely with some of the best Afro-beats. The music matters: it functions as a unifier not only for Ethiopia, but the much larger east African community.

Damtew Ayele sang songs of love.

It’s hard to watch one of his videos without dancing: http://youtu.be/kYnmUcMa7Gg Damtew spent the last eight years of his life in Norway. Known as the Ethiopian nisse (Santa Claus), Damtew had a sense of responsibility and duty to his community.

Damtew was also a leader. He gave very popular concerts around Europe for the wider and wellorganized Ethiopian and Eritrean community and was a friend to all, no matter their origin. Most referred to Damtew as Gashe, an affectionate term for “Sir.”

When Damtew was diagnosed with a terminal disease, he decided that he wanted to die in Ethiopia. The established Ethiopian community rallied together and raised an astonishing amount through a

IOM Norway interviewed Ethiopian community leader and friend of Damtew, Fassil Alebachew. Fassil said, “When Gashe found out he was going to die, he was determined to die in Ethiopia. He refused kurban (last rites usually given to both husband and wife) because he was going to say them with his wife. He didn’t want pity. He just wanted to go home. For the six or seven months we fought to get him home, every time we thought we were close and it was pulled back, Gashe would patiently ask, “When am I going to fly?”

The Ethiopian community reached out to IOM to see if we could get Damtew home. Every case is special, every case is unique, but this case was exceptional. Sofia, our Ethiopia caseworker, went to the hospital in Oslo to assist Damtew and to complete the necessary paperwork.

Sofia said, “He was so sick but he was determined. We (IOM) were all so determined to get him home.”

When returnees decide they want to go home, they want to go yesterday: Damtew wanted to go home. It’s sometimes difficult to explain the process that IOM Norway must follow for each returnee. Even with our cordial relations with the Embassy of Ethiopia, and despite late hours and principled determination, the weight of reality could not be overcome: the Ethiopian Embassy is not in Oslo but in Stockholm, as are direct flight routes to Addis Ababa, and the rules and regulations of usually accommodating airlines in the face of liability for death on an airline.

Our staff, our colleagues at IOM Ethiopia, IOM transit points and our international headquarters in Geneva went into critical mode to push our efforts but we must follow rules and protocol. The same rules and protocol we follow for each case, even if urgency and immediacy are the tone.

We couldn’t surmount the obstacles but we tried our best. Even in death, there can be victory. At the last moment, Damtew got clearance and went home as a private passenger, like returnees going home with IOM, but not revealing his full condition to the airline. It was sheer risk but like his life, the gamble paid off. When Damtew and his escorts arrived in Ethiopia, messages came to Oslo, “We are in Addis Ababa. We are safe!” The Ethiopian community texted Sofia, “He’s home.”

Damtew:the leader, died in his native Ethiopia on July 4th, 2014. The Ethiopian community sent flowers to our Oslo office to thank us for our efforts. IOM respectfully sent flowers back. On a mission to Addis Ababa, Sofia visted Damtew’s widow Armaz and daughter Bethlem. Armaz told us about Damtew’s last days in Ethiopia, “He laughed and was alive.

He talked about Fassil and Norway a lot, but he was home.” Damtew the musician and leader got home.

Fassil said, “Leading a community is a difficult thing. Community is a big word, whether that is different tribes, religions or ideas. What matters is to drop your jacket. In our community, we are family. east Africa, and Africa, we are a community. Differences help us to go forward. Otherwise, we are going to get stuck.”

See Ayele video here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFQ9pAu6MQw

Charles Kinney 3

Diplomacy, Identity and the Challenges to Voluntary Return ©IOM

Migrants fleeing the violence on the Libyan Tunisian border

In June, IOM Norway’s Chief of Mission Joost van der Aalst and Programme Manager Cecilia Cantos visited the embassies of Angola, Bangladesh, Ethiopia and Kenya in Stockholm, Sweden to strengthen cooperation in the Voluntary Assisted Return Programme (VARP), and to maintain better communication. These visits are relevant in advancing the issuance of temporary travel documents for applicants to the return programme.

The reality of acquiring travel documents can lengthen the return process. The challenge for IOM is to improve service delivery time and remove bottlenecks in the return assistance process.

The Diplomatic Process IOM Oslo is the representation in Norway of an intergovernmental organization with 156 member and 11 observer states . While following global rules and guidance as agreed by its constituency, IOM missions act in accordance with agreements made with the host country. This 4

diplomatic process is delicate and requires a strict protocol.

However, if IOM Oslo is to have access to diplomatic missions to facilitate travel documents, (i.e. passports, visas and authorization), it is imperative that IOM remains an impartial participant to both its host country and outside agencies.

Thus, the diplomatic process, albeit sometimes lengthy, must be followed.

the protection of the respective state issuing the document.

A brief history of passports and the challenge of identity, identification and travel documents.

The modern concept of a passport, or literally a way to ‘’pass ports’’ whether by land and sea, is less than a 100 years old. The traditional imagery of arriving in some distant land and handing over a hard-backed paper document to a customs official is even more recent.

Unfortunately for the migrant/ traveller, though, this does not give the right for a legal stay. The authorities will exercise their right to remove the irregular migrant.

Application of valid entry options is an important strategy that not only saves money, but more importantly, saves lives. It can mitigate human smuggling, or worse, human trafficking (coercion).

Originally issued as instruments of protection, passports were requests for safe, unfettered passage and surprisingly, could even be issued to foreign nationals, ensuring them

Until World War I, travel documents were not common requirements for foreign travel. Identity was established by face and voice until photographic technology developed.

It was common practice to enter a country by paying a fee (toll – tax) at the border. There was no need for further identification. Such practices still exist in some parts of the world.

The purchase of a visa is a historic legacy of this. Remarkably, human smuggling is a similar practice (paying to enter a country).

Arbitrary descriptions of facial features were still inscribed in UK passports up to 1920, when collective security under the League of Nations standardized passports.

Passports, and by extension travel documents, began to function as tools of identity. Passports remain, as they originally did, at the discretion of the issuing government.

One of the major achievements of the modern Norwegian state was the creation of the concept of identity papers and travel documents for refugees and stateless people under the direction of Fridtjof Nansen.

Nansen, was among other things, the Commissioner for Refugees for the League of Nations in 1922.

Created for stateless refugees from the Russian revolution and civil war, and later Armenians, Turks and Assyrians; nearly half a million “Nansen passports” were eventually issued and recognized by over 50 nations. Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1938, the Nansen Office for International Refugees and the Nansen passport survived until WWII. It can be justifiably said that Nansen’s imaginative and pioneering work was instrumental in facilitating IOM’s global role in assisting applicants in acquiring travel documents.

The National Archives of Norway, 4 Apr. 2011. 24 Jul. 2014. <http:// arkivverket.no/eng/Using-theArchives/Online-Exhibitions/TheNansen-Passport>.)

Fast forward 60 years. Identity documents are a pre-requisite in the return process. It is an interesting side-note that the fury in nations like France and the United States over driving documents, which are usually viewed as a privilege rather than a right, is mainly that we still identify each other by face and voice.

Veiled, inconclusive photographs do not work in most societies. Likewise,

forged or inconclusive identity documents are invalid. However, unlike driving documents, identity documents are usually a right.

In a functioning state with low bias, these documents are generally issued at birth, or acquired through lawful interior ministries that are guided by the rule of law. In a society with a non-functioning government, or one that is prejudiced against part of its population, identity, and by extension travel documents, are viewed and issued at the whim of individuals.

At IOM Norway, at least 65% of accepted VARP applicants have no travel documents at all, which lengthen sthe return process.

process.

Understanding the diplomatic process and issuance of travel documents based on identification of potential returnees is essential.

It requires cooperation between all involved, not least from the applicant themself. However, there are situations where individuals are unable to retrieve information. DNA analysis may give solutions, although at a high cost and with considerable time taken.

It is IOM’s belief that voluntary return migration is best facilitated by accurate services with shared responsibilities and cooperation of returnees, stakeholders and IOM alike.

Embassies, protocol and the challenge Joost van der Aalst said, “Embassies of location are keen to assist their nationals Joost van der Aalst surmised the living in peculiar situations in host challenge of embassy protocol countries. In many cases embassies when he stated, “Embassies follow recognize the return of such migrants instructions from their interior is the best option. They consider ministries and apply the policies of such return in voluntariness and their governments in support of the in dignity through IOM as the interests of their nationals overseas. preferred option. ” The identification of the individual Charles Kinney & Joost van der Aalst is equally important as no country has to accept a foreigner on its territory who does not fulfill that Embassy Seminar criteria. A clear exception is offering humanitarian access to refugees On September 19 IOM will be holding its annual embassy seminar. seeking international protection.”

We are inviting embassies, consulates Additionally, not all embassies and UDI staff to join us at the Thon accredited to the Norwegian Hotel, Opera for a one day seminar kingdom are in Oslo. For example, focusing on the challenges involved the embassies of Nigeria, Democratic in issuing travel documents Republic of Congo and Eritrea are in Stockholm; the embassies of Sierra IOM Norway has built strong Leone, Nepal and Uzbekistan are in relationships with over 30 embassies London; the Uganda and Ghananian scattered across northern Europe; and embassies are in Copenhagen and the our staff make weekly - sometimes embassy of Yemen is in The Hague. daily - visits to embassies here in The disparate nature of embassies Oslo. further lengthens the process.

The seminar is an opportunity The challenge for IOM Norway is to create dialogue on the return to reduce the time from application procedure: to discuss the challenges to the time of departure to the and find solutions; solutions that will country of origin. Close liaison help ordinary migrants who choose with embassies helps speed up the to return plan for their future.

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Migration & the Post 2015 Development Agenda ©IOM Syrian refugees

M

igration has been teetering on the edge of inclusion into a formalized development agenda since 2000.

It missed out on the millennium development goals (MDG’s) - the most successful development campaign ever – but IOM and many other stakeholders want to see it included in the post 2015 framework. Why? Well, over 1 billion people on the planet are migrants, and the number is set to steadily increase over the next 20 years.

The geographical focus of migrants is shifting - 40 % of all migrants move South to North, but we now know that there is a greater shift in South-South migration, with over third of all migratory movements taking place in this area. Countries like Chile whose traditional migrant trajectory was north wards is now seeing more movement in the region .

Political, social and environmental factors play a significant role in migratory patterns: conflict, economic hardship and climate change are

6

key drivers in global migration.

IOM has calculated that since the beginning of 2014 alone, 1.6 million people have been displaced in Iraq. In neighbouring Syria, over 9 million people have fled the country to escape the ongoing violence.

Global financial crisis influence population flows too. In the recent ‘Credit Crunch’ (2007-2013) there was a reduction in global migration; in particular irregular migration.

We know that as unemployment rises it’s often the most vulnerable who lose their jobs; and it’s often the unprotected migrant workforce who are the first to go.

On the flip-side, many countries experience a brain-drain as their best and brightest leave to find opportunities abroad.

The migration ‘mega trend’ is holistic – it responds to the ageing society in Europe, and it also reacts to the increasing frequency of natural disasters.

Climate change is having a profound effect on human movement – floods, desertification and extreme weather are threatening people’s livelihoods.

The IOM report on Migration and the UN Post 2015 agenda states that, “in 2012 alone, an estimated 32.4 million people in 82 countries were newly displaced by disasters associated with natural hazard events (98% triggered by climate- and weatherrelated causes) (IDMC, 2013)and this ©IOM Survivers of tropical storm Hanna, Haiti

excludes those compelled to move due to slow-onset processes, such as desertification and sea-level rise.”

Migration as a ‘mega trend’ is undeniable. Over 1 billion people are sending $681 billion dollars home in remittances each year.

Norwegian delegates at the 2014 Global Forum on Migration Development in Sweden, stated that “global migrant remittances were an invaluable tool in reducing poverty and constituted more than three times the amount of global aid.” And figures back this up: in 2009 Norway ranked 17th in the World Bank list of remittance sending countries, with a total of $4.1 billion leaving the country.

Remittances are an informal credit line to many countries their economic survival depends on the money transfers being pinged acros the globe. Take Nepal for example, remittances make up 23% of the country’s GDP.

the sick. In the words of European Union researchers, “migration and mobility have contributed to the achievement of many of the Millennium Development Goals.” They are not an answer to good governance, but they help cover the cracks.

How and where does migration fit into the post 2015 development agenda? IOM has narrowed it down to 4 possible scenarios: 1) Migration could be an ‘enabler’ - a key consideration to be featured in a declaration that would support a framework for any post-2015 MDG campaign.

2) Migration could be a stand-alone ‘migration goal’ akin to the existing clear-cut MDGs, such as ‘reduce maternal mortality’. But the jury is still out on what the migration goal would be. After all, are we really going to see member states agreeing on a normative international framework for governing migration? It’s unlikely.

It’s easy to forget that the foreign worker who drives you home safely, cares for your children and comforts you in your hospital bed is the breadwinner for a family far away. Remittances help children complete their education; they put food on the table and they heal

UK delegates at the Global Migration Forum stated that the case had not yet been made to include a migration specific MDG or something similar.

Brits, and other nations, don’t want to see the focus on extreme poverty being diluted by other issues.

IOM assists in southern Iraq

that includes non-food item (NFI) kits, which contain basic essentials such as mattresses, cooking supplies and hygiene materials. On 2 and 3 September, IOM delivered aid to an estimated 9,030 displaced people. An internally displaced family told IOM staff at a distribution in Erbil on 3 September: “Thankyou for this.

We are happy with the beds; yesterday we slept on concrete in the schoolyard, so

On 23 August, the Basra governor opened a camp for IDPs in an unfinished constructed market.

IOM, in partnership with UNHCR, is assisting with camp setup: supplying cooking equipment, water coolers and shower blocks IOM in Erbil Many of these families are currently seeking shelter in schools, mosques and unfinished buildings across Iraq. As this displacement is sudden, families leave their homes with little more than the clothes on their backs.

In response, IOM distributes aid

3) A third possibility of how migration could be involved in the post 2015 agenda is positioning it as a cross-cutting issue under other development goals. This idea has gained currency with many. French delegates at the 2014 Global Migration Forum were in favour of including migration as a cross-cutting issue, though not as an objective on its own.

4) Or should migration become part of the follow up to millennium development goal 8: “building global partnerships for development”. Not the most catchy or tangible of the current MDGs, but it has profound implications for the long term success of any future development agenda.

IOM wants to create cooperative agreements related to human mobility to enable safe, lawful, less costly migration across or within borders, which protects the human rights of migrants. these agreements must produce positive development outcomes for all stakeholders.

However the post2015 development agenda pans out, IOM will be pushing to unlock migration’s development potential for the benefit of all.

Please contact us for more information on migration’s role in the post 2015 development agenda.

Carina Wint

this is important. We are especially pleased with the gas stove. Now we can make tea and breakfast.”

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Cultural Orientation ©IOM Norway

IOM Norway briefs children’s Minister

IOM Norway was pleased to meet Ms. Solveig Horne, Minister for children, equality and social inclusion. In preparation for her visit to IOM headquarters in Geneva, the minister was briefed on IOM’s cultural orientation programme, migration health and under aged minors.

Almost 8000 UN refugees have been provided with predeparture cultural orientation in over 10 different transit countries. The Minister expressed satisfaction with IOM’s assistance in resettling and integrating refugees.

Photo L-R Joost van der Aalst(IOM), Minister Horne, William Paintsil (IOM)

Bi-cultural trainer tells his story of resettlement

©IOM Norway

I am Seyed Jamil Naser (pictured), originally from Afghanistan. I came to Norway as a quota refugee from Pakistan in Norway in December 1999.

I work as a senior advisor for the directorate of kids, youths, and family affairs (Bufetat) in Trondheim.

I mainly work with settlement of unaccompanied minors. I also worked as an advisor for the department of immigration in Trondheim from 2008 to 2011.

I did my masters in political science at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) in 2008.

I have been working as as Cross Cultural Facilitator (CCF) for IOM Norway since May 2013. I gave my first cultural orientation (CO) classes to a group of Afghan refugees in Tehran, in August 2013.

I came to Norway without having any kind of cultural orientation. I remember my first days here. I knew very little about Norway. I didn’t even know how Norwegians greet each other. I did not know about Norwegian culture, family structure, school systems, housing, language, or even the weather . I had just heard that Norway was a country with long winters.

I arrived in Norway on December 15th, 1999. A lot of people were 8

Seyed at this year’s cultural orientation in Turkey

shopping for Christmas gifts.

There were lots of people in the shopping centres and in the centre of Trondheim. I thought that people would dress up over the Christmas period. That’s what people do for Id in my country or Pakistan. There are always lots of people on the streets wearing new cloths.

But when Christmas Eve and Christams day arrived in Oslo, the city was dead. I didn’t see anybody on the street. I was wondering what had happened to all the Norwegians, and where the festivities were. I was really shocked.

I have heard a lot of similar stories from other refugees who, like me, did not have CO. They all have very interesting stories.

I really enjoy giving cultural orientation classes to other refugees.

In my CO classes I tell them that they are so lucky that CO classes exist. I share my experiences with them. I tell them about the cultural shock I experienced and the cultural blunders I made in my early days in Norway.

When I tell the class about some of the things i did they laugh.

I believe that if quota refugees coming to Norway did not have CO classes, it would not only be difficult for them to start their new lives , but it would also be very difficult for Norwegians to understand them.

To receive around 1500 new refugees with very high and unrealistic expectations would be a real strain on local government. It would be unsustainable.

Seyed Jamil