The IOM Moscow Times International Organization for Migration Moscow, Russia

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1 The IOM Moscow Times International Organization for Migration Moscow, Russia Issue 7, October , 2-aya Zvenigorodskaya, , Moscow Tel 7 (095) Fax 7 (095) iommoscow@iom.int, INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Visit of the Director General to Moscow MTV Exit Concert, 8 th September, Saint- Petersburg Moscow Migration Research Programme (MMRP) Presentation of Selection of Qualified Foreign Workers Project in Russian Federation IOM Moscow Cultural Orientation Moscow Migrant Processing and Movement Ceremony of the signing of the Cooperation Agreement VISIT OF THE DIRECTOR GENERAL TO MOSCOW The visiting IOM officials, led by the DG, participated in a one-day conference bringing together high level governmental officials of the Russian Federation, in preparation for High Level Dialogue (HLD) on Migration and Development which took place later in September 2006 in New York at the UN General Assembly. The Director General, Mr. Brunson McKinley, together with Officials from the IOM Head Quarters in Geneva and other IOM Missions, visited Moscow on of July During the visit, Mr. McKinley and Mr. Nickolay Borduzha, the Director General of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), signed a cooperation agreement between the two organizations. The agreement paves the way towards enhanced cooperation on various issues such as development of legal frameworks and organizational mechanisms to counter irregular migration, including combating human trafficking. It also calls for participation in joint projects and trainings for law enforcement and migration services of CSTO member states (Russian Federation, Belarus, Armenia, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan) Conference for high level Russian officials in the MFA Residence Mr. Brunson McKinley also met with the Director of the Federal Migration Service of the Russian Federation, Mr. Konstantin Romodanovsky, to discuss the prospects of future cooperation between IOM and FMS RF, as well as practical project development initiatives. Mr. Romodanovsky was one of the Russian Federation s high level participants to the HLD on Migration and Development. The IOM Moscow Times, Issue 7 1

2 At a meeting with the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Mr. Alexander Yakovenko, Mr. Brunson McKinley presented the documentation referring to IOM membership as had been requested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs which has recently indicated increased interest in this issue. Mr. McKinley further discussed possible points of contact and cooperation at a meeting with the Deputy Minister for Emergency Situations Mr. Yury Brazhnikov. MTV EXIT CONCERT, 8 th SEPTEMBER, SAINT- PETERSBURG The purpose of the event, jointly organized by MTVEF (MTV Europe Foundation) and IOM within the framework of their respective projects, the MTV EXIT Campaign to End Exploitation and Trafficking and Prevention of Human Trafficking in the Russian Federation, is to increase the awareness of the problem of trafficking in human beings among young people in St. Petersburg and throughout Russia. The funding for the projects and the joint concert has been provided by the Swedish International Development and Cooperation Agency (Sida) and the Delegation of the European Commission to Russia, with further funding support from the US Government s State Department. The IOM Chief of Mission and the CT Project Coordinator took part in the press-conference before the MTVEXIT Concert in St. Petersburg on 8 th of September, (EXIT End Exploitation and Trafficking name of the MTV Europe Foundation multimedia campaign to raise awareness and increase prevention of the trafficking of young women for sexual exploitation in Europe) Pierre Dybman, Head of Thematic Section, Institutional Reforms EU- Russia Cooperation Programme, Delegation of the EC to Russia, speaking at press-conference, emphasized that raising awareness among the young people about risks of illegal migration and illegal job placement abroad is one of the most important stages of the CT Project. He said also that a young person must know about such an enemy as a human trafficking to be able to fight it. Among the other participants of the press-conference there were: Thomas G. Ehr and Simon Goff (MTV Europe Foundation), entertainer DJ Missill (France) and Vladimir Smirnov (press-attaché MTV Russia). MTVEF representatives told about the MTVEXIT counter-trafficking music concert tour, which started in Bosnia in July, 2006 and ended in Belarus on September, 15. MTV Concerts were organized also in Albania, Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova and Ukraine. Among the guests of the St. Petersburg music event there were pop group Bent from Great Britain, playing instrumental electro; Audio Bullys (UK), in their music they present hooligan house style, mixing house and garage; DJ Missill from France, playing different music styles; Legalize (Russia) Moscow rap-singing group. During the concert the volunteers from St. Petersburg NGO Crisis Centre for women organized the distribution of MTVEF EXIT Campaign booklets. The booklets contain information about the phenomenon of human trafficking, about the risks of becoming a victim and offer advice on protecting oneself against trafficking. The audience approximately 1000 young people came to the concert to listen to pop music and see popular DJs and also to support the counter-trafficking event in Russia. Mark Getchell briefed the audience about recent trafficking statistics, talked about the CT Project objectives and about the phenomenon of human trafficking. Alberto Andreani, CT Project Coordinator described the project activities in detail. MTVEF Concert in St. Petersburg Panel speakers during the press-conference The joint MTVEF/IOM event will be filmed for broadcast on MTV Russia s network with a potential audience of over 80 million people throughout the country. The IOM Moscow Times, Issue 7 2

3 IOM MMRP in the period of September 2005-March 2006 under IOM project Trafficking Assessment and Counter-Trafficking Capacity Building Project for the Kaliningrad Oblast funded by the Finish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. BENT pop music group from Great Britain The concert in St. Petersburg will launch a joint awareness campaign in the Russian Federation involving a series of information dissemination and multimedia activities aimed at educating young people about the risks of trafficking for sexual exploitation and forced labour. The campaign activities will bring into focus the problems of physical abuse, mental trauma, stigmatization in society, and the denial of basic human rights, which are the most sinister consequences of trafficking in humans. Counter-trafficking unit is glad to present CT Project LOGO, approved by EC. IOM CT Project LOGO IOM CT website is currently under construction and will be ready by the end of October, MOSCOW MIGRATION RESEARCH PROGRAMME (MMRP) On July 5, 2006 IOM Moscow and IOM Vilnius offices presented the results of a special study on human trafficking in Kaliningrad Oblast. The study was presented in the Kaliningrad Oblast Duma to local governmental officials, representatives from NGOs, media and other interested bodies. The research with the aim to assess the scope of trafficking to, through and from Kaliningrad Oblast was conducted by IOM research revealed that Kaliningrad Oblast, an exclave of Russia by the Baltic Sea, is a source, transit and destination region for transfer and trafficking of people with the purpose of their exploitation. The following forms of trafficking were found to be the most salient in Kaliningrad Oblast: 1. Export of people, especially women, including minors, for sexual exploitation from the Kaliningrad Oblast to foreign countries. Among export directions are mainly EC countries: Poland, Germany, Turkey, Greece. The most vulnerable groups in this trafficking are young girls and women from socially disadvantaged families, girls and women who are poor, unemployed, engaged in local sex industries or subjected to family violence. 2. Sexual exploitation of women, including minors, in sex business in Kaliningrad Oblast. Victims of this exploitation are both local women and children and migrants form other regions of Russia, as well as from other countries, above all the CIS (Ukraine, Belarus, Moldavia, Uzbekistan and others). 3. Exploitation of slave labor, mainly of migrants, in the Oblast in certain sectors of the economy (construction, trade at markets, manufacturing of counterfeit products at underground enterprises, work in private households, including in villages). Victims of this form of trafficking are mainly migrants from CIS countries, recently from Central Asia in particular. 4. An oblast-specific form of trafficking for the Kaliningrad Oblast includes criminal deals with sailors and persons who seek employment on transport, fishing or other ships to work at sea. This area reveals large-scale deception and violation of human rights up to trade in human beings and slavery. The research also documented, that despite of occurrences of human trafficking in the Oblast, awareness on the problem is low among specialists and officials, as well as the general public. The potential for identification of trafficking cases, work with victims and countering human trafficking by law enforcement bodies is insufficient in the Kaliningrad Oblast. Crimes related to human trafficking are not exposed or investigated. Based on the needs in the Oblast, IOM will continue its counter-trafficking activities there in order to raise awareness and capacity of various entities and society as a whole to identify, prosecute and prevent trafficking cases, as well as assist victims of this crime. In particular, within the framework of this project, in November 2006 IOM will conduct special trainings for experts politicians, representatives of law-enforcement and migration-related bodies, social workers, NGOs and other interested parties. Under the project Prevention of Human Trafficking in the RF MMRP launched the baseline research in three pilot regions Moscow and Moscow oblast, Astrakhan oblast and the Republic Karelia. The research has a comprehensive character and includes interviewing of experts, principal at-risk groups with regard to the threat of trafficking, local population on its awareness of the problem, and analysis of various socio-economic factors in pilot regions. The results of the project will assist to evaluate the situation and more effectively implement practical project components, such as The IOM Moscow Times, Issue 7 3

4 information campaign targeted at risk groups, work of Information and Consultative Centers in regions, trainings for officials, NGOs, risk groups, etc. As an initial component of this research, special expert roundtables were conducted in each region (cities of Astrakhan, Moscow and Petrozavodsk) in June 2006 with participation of local experts governmental officials from relevant ministries and services, representatives of NGOs, including Diaspora organizations, business-community and journalists where the principal approaches towards the problem of trafficking in pilot regions were identified and discussed as well as some regional peculiarities. During these events MMRP presented the project and its particular components and welcomed any comments and ideas on its implementation. The transcript of these roundtables will be used for the analytical report that is expected to be drafted in December January 2007, distributed among regional partners for their feedback and discussed at the final conference with participation of RF regional and federal project partners as well as international stakeholders in March-April PRESENTATION OF SELECTION OF QUALIFIED FOREIGN WORKERS PROJECT IN RUSSIAN FEDERATION In July 2006 the Government of the Czech Republic launched a Pilot Project on the Selection of Qualified Foreign Workers in the Russian Federation. The implementation of this project was entrusted to the Czech Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (MLSA) and the International Organization for Migration in Prague. The International Organization for Migration in Moscow (IOM) will be the implementing partner responsible for informing the public about the project. The main aim is to open opportunities for qualified professionals, who meet the eligibility criteria for long-term employment in the Czech Republic, to obtain permanent residence. Eligible candidates, who have a job in the Czech Republic, can apply to the project and obtain a permanent residence permit in the Czech Republic after two and a half years, instead of the current five. Moreover there is a possibility to apply for permanent residency for the candidate s spouse and children. The project participants enjoy a 30-day protective period in order to find a new job if they have experienced job loss through no fault of their own. The experts invited to the press conference representing the Federal Migration Service of the Russian Federation, Federal Labour and Employment Service, the Committee of Interregional Relations and National Policy of Moscow Government, the Institute of Migration Processes Management, and the International Association Labour Migration also took part in the discussion. They stressed that the project will give a chance for migrants to live and work legally in the Czech Republic and also fight against illegal migration and unreliable employers. However, from the point of view of public policy of Russia, the drain of skilled workers can t be encouraged by the government. At the same time this project is similar to the one signed this summer by the Russian President Vladimir Putin and aimed at attracting skilled workers from CIS countries with further integration to Russian life and economy and eventually acquiring Russian citizenship. The participants of the press conference were unanimous in assessing this pilot project as interesting and important for both Russian and Czech sides in sphere of migration processes development. The information campaign started with the project presentation press conference organized by the International Organization for Migration in Moscow on September 5, In the course of the press conference the Project Manager of the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs of Czech Republic Ms. Zdena Caisová, the representative of IOM Prague Mr. Jan Schroth and the Vice-Consul, Head of Visa Section of the Czech Embassy in Moscow Mr. Roman Masařik presented the aims and tasks of the project. The Logo of the Project IOM MOSCOW CULTURAL ORIENTATION NEW Pre-departure Program for Meskhetian Turks Czech Republic Representatives participating in the Press Conference In Krasnodar, in addition to CO lectures, a 5-hour pre-departure class to refresh refugees knowledge of the core topics right before their departure to the US was introduced. Additional information and some practical activities are included into the pre-departure training. The migrants are taught to measure suitcases with a centimeter, fill out The IOM Moscow Times, Issue 7 4

5 samples of Customs Declarations revising the Customs Regulations on hard currency and limits for carrying it. They also learn to convert weight and height in US measures (pounds, feet). At every pre-departure session a short film about their flight and the use of all the facilities on the plane and in the airport is displayed. Instructors distribute Boarding Cards among the students, explaining the meaning of such words as Flight, Seat, Check-in Time, Departure Time, and Boarding Time and ask refugees to role-play different situations at the airport, transfer zones, on board the plane using their Boarding Passes/Cards. Students are taught simple phrases they might use on board the plane addressing their flight attendant with a request to, for example, choose their meat for dinner. Instructors also review the international laws travelers should observe when on board the plane, in the international airport and which federal USA laws must be followed upon arrival in the USA. The Pre-Departure Lessons are proving extremely useful. They help reveal which information provided during regular CO classes has been slipped over or misinterpreted. Such gaps or misinterpretations can thus be easily reviewed with the migrants to make sure all is clearly understood prior to departure to the US. Canadian Orientation Abroad (COA) IOM Moscow is happy to announce that COA Moscow is well under way and has already served the first groups of migrants who are bound for Canada. CO lectures in IOM Moscow office The two trainers also went on a mobile mission to Almaty to provide COA to Afghan refugees departing from Kazakhstan. As a rule, new migrants have unrealistic expectations about their destination country. The refugees blinds were a bit adjusted without dispelling their hope for a better life for themselves and their families. Personal stories, funny, gripping and touching, were unearthed and shared. Let s hope that all the participants learned a lot about their new country, adopted the right attitude and used their sometimes bitter past as a stepping stone towards a better future. Canadian Orientation Abroad sessions are offered to all categories of refugees approved for resettlement by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC). The eligible participants received COA in two-day sessions at the office of IOM, Moscow, Russia. COA was conducted by Stanislav Shelukhin, COA facilitator and Valeriy Kazakov, Canadian Refugee Program Assistant. Most of the participants were Afghans. New immigrants often have unrealistic expectations about their life in Canada or hold extremely limited or wrong ideas about Canadian culture and society. They also experience a natural anxiety over parting with familiar surroundings and entering an unknown environment. All groups were very involved in in their COA seminars. They loved it: having someone from the group reading their names at the beginning of the session, sometimes writing on the board in English, interpreting cultural phenomena and comparing them to their own culture. All immigrants found COA program extremely useful and felt less anxious about their departure upon completing the program. CO lectures in Almaty The sessions took place in the building of a University, which was conveniently located in one of the districts of Almaty. The facilities were very suitable for such trainings. A projector and large screen as well as big speakers were used in the classroom. The IOM Moscow team really enjoyed working in Kazakhstan. The staff in IOM Almaty really went out of their way to make sure that the training was carried out smoothly and effectively. The IOM Moscow Times, Issue 7 5

6 MOSCOW MIGRANT PROCESSING AND MOVEMENTS From April 1 through September 30, IOM Moscow continued its work with the Russian government, the U.S. State Department, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and various UNHCR offices and U.S. Embassies across Europe and the ex-ussr to implement its program of voluntary resettlement to the United States for migrants and refugees. The largest group of beneficiaries resides in Krasnodar, where a temporary IOM operational presence was established in 2004 and continues to work on the Meskhetian Turk voluntary resettlement program. IOM completed receiving and screening applications, and the U.S. government has completed its interviews for this finite caseload. The final steps of each applicant's processing, including medical clearance, cultural orientation, coordination of resettlement arrangements, final clearance by US authorities and actual departure are being completed as quickly as possible in close cooperation with the local government Administration. IOM Moscow Staff traveled to process cases, interview applicants, prepare files for interviews, and assist U.S. government officials in: Baku (Azerbaijan), Chisinau (Moldova), Dushanbe (Tajikistan), Florence (Italy), Tbilisi (Georgian Republic), St. Petersburg, and Valletta (Malta). USRP Workshop in the IOM Moscow office with the U.S. Embassy Moscow s Refugee Coordinator, Timothy Richardson IOM MOSCOW OFFICE On the last day of the stay in Moscow the IOM delegation led by the DG met with the IOM Moscow staff. The UNHCR office in Tashkent, Uzbekistan closed in April06, and IOM anticipates working in Uzbejkistan on the resettlement of vulnerable Afghan refugees to the United States in the wake of UNHCR's departure. Staff from the IOM offices in Almaty, Ashgabat, Baku, Bishkek, Chisinau, Dushanbe, Kiev, Krasnodar all came to Moscow in August06 for a week-long training seminar with their Moscow colleagues. They talked about their various experiences in the program, determined the best practices, and learned how to better implement the U.S. Refugee Programme. Comprehensive statistics for the period were as follows: Applications received and processed: 6,250 individuals Presented to DHS to be interviewed: 6,941 individuals Cultural Orientation provided to: 2,373 individuals Departures to the U.S.: 5,582 individuals The IOM Moscow Times, Issue 7 6

7 COPIES OF THE NEWSLETTER ARE AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST. PLEASE DO NOT HESITATE TO CONTACT US. IOM MOSCOW 2 ND ZVENIGORODSKAYA STREET, , MOSCOW RUSSIAN FEDERATION TEL.: FAX: IOMMOSCOW@IOM.INT The IOM Moscow Times, Issue 7 7