On 30 November EASO held its annual Consultative

ISSN: 1977-4818 European Asylum Support Office European Asylum Support Office Newsletter - November / December 2015 EASO 5th Consultative Forum On 30 November EASO held its annual Consultative Forum plenary meeting, bringing together organizations, academics and experts to discuss the Common European Asylum system and EASO work and activities, in particular those activities related to EASO s work in the hotspots in Italy and Greece. Read more on page 6. CONTENTS 5th EASO Consultative Forum Plenary Meeting...1 Asylum judges gathering in Luxembourg...1 Latest asylum trends and main countries of origin...2 EASO participates in the relocation process from Greece...4 The 54th COSAC Conference...4 EASO reports to the European Parliament...4 COI Network Seminar on Somalia...5 EASO participates in UNICEF Expert Meeting...5 Press briefing in the margins of the Valletta Summit...6 High-level visits to EASO...7 The Salzburg Forum - Ministerial Conference...7 EASO Support to Bulgaria...7 EASO Training Curriculum...8 EASO Training National Contact Point meeting...8 EASO Training Plan 2016...8 Deployment of experts for the EASO training activities...9 Annual Reference Group Meeting...9 Meeting on Introduction to International Protection...9 EASO Cooperation with courts and tribunals...10 Annual courts and tribunals network meeting...10 Vulnerable Groups...10 A new training tool on Trafficking in Human Beings...10 Meeting on Trafficking in Human Beings Contact Points...11 Quality Matrix: Annual meeting of the NCPs on Quality...12 Establishing the EASO Network of Dublin Units...13 ENPI project activities in November and December 2015...13 4th EASO External Dimension Network meeting...14 EASO following closely the asylum situation in Romania...14 EASO notices (including vacancies)...15 Asylum judges from Europe gather in Luxembourg to discuss current issues On 5-6 November 2015, EASO was pleased to be able to bring together 95 participants, of which over 80 were members of courts and tribunals, from 26 EU+ countries at a conference entitled: Judging on the Common European Asylum System: key issues in the implementation of the CEAS from the judicial perspective. Thanks for the kind cooperation of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), it was possible to hold this important meeting at the premises of the Court in Luxembourg. The conference was an important opportunity for an exchange of practice and experience between judges with a view to ultimately furthering the mutual understanding and harmonisation of judicial standards throughout the EU+ countries. Read more on page 10. SUPPORT IS OUR MISSION

2 - EASO Newsletter November / December 2015 Latest asylum trends and main countries of origin 1. Number of applicants for international protection in EU+ 1 In October 2015, the number of asylum applications recorded by EU+ countries reached a new high with 176 191 2 applications and a sixth consecutive month of growth. This represents an increase of 1 % compared to the level recorded in September and two and a half times above the level in the same month of last year. In 2013 and 2014, October was also the month with the highest number of applications in the year, just before the start of the colder season. For the first ten months of 2015 the total number of applications has already exceeded the 1 million mark. The share of repeated applicants has been steadily decreasing since March, falling to less than 3 % of the total, the lowest share recorded in the last three years. Latest asylum trends Importantly, the number of claimed unaccompanied minors (UAMs) also grew for the sixth consecutive month in October and totalled more than 16 000, an 8- fold increase compared to April. The share of applicants who claimed to be UAMs at the moment of lodging an application also rose and reached 9 % of the total number of applicants in the EU+, three percentage points more than in September. The rise was entirely attributable to citizens of Afghanistan who exceeded 10 000 applicants and represented the main group of claimed UAMs (63 %), followed by Syrians (13 %) and Eritreans (5 %). 2. Main countries of origin of applicants in EU+ countries in October 2015 The map displays the main countries of origin of asylum applicants in EU+ countries in October, with Syria being, for the sixth consecutive month, the number one citizenship recorded. With more than 28 000 applications lodged in October, Afghanistan became the second ranked country of origin of applicants. Applicants from Iraq matched the numbers of September, totalling again over 26 000 in October. Compared to September, the number of applications from WB nationals dropped by 22 % to 11 861. applicants in October 2015, recording the lowest level since the beginning of the year, but still remaining (as a group) in fourth place overall in the list of top countries of origin. Among the top ten citizenships of applicants in October, applications from Eritrean and Iranian citizens, as well as persons considered to be stateless, and those with unknown citizenship, increased in October compared to September. 1 The EU+ is composed of EU-28 plus Norway and Switzerland. The share of repeated applicants is the proportion of repeated applicants in the total number of applicants for international protection. The share of UAM (unaccompanied minors) represents the proportion of asylum applicants claiming to be below the age of 18 years in the total number of applicants rather than those assessed to be such after an age assessment has been carried out. 2 At the moment of writing this note data was available for 27 of the 30 EU+ countries. SUPPORT IS OUR MISSION

EASO Newsletter November / December 2015-3 Syria in October 2015, EU+ countries registered 59 744 applications lodged by Syrian citizens, a decrease of 5% compared to September 2015, but close to four times the level recorded in the same month of 2014. While Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands continued as the main destination countries for Syrian applicants, the Syrian influx was spread throughout Europe with 19 EU+ countries reporting Syria in their national top three countries of origin. Afghanistan Mirroring the unprecedented number of Afghans arriving in EU by sea from Turkey, in October, the number of Afghan applications for international protection reached a new monthly high of more than 28 000. In October, the number of applicants rose 34 % compared to previous month, making the number of Afghan applications pass 130 000 in the first ten months of the current year. Iraq In October 2015, the number of Iraqi applicants (26 021) remained at the same average level recorded in September. Of all Iraqis registered in the EU+ countries since the beginning of 2015, 97 % were first-time applicants. Western Balkan nationals (WB) A total of 11 861 WB nationals lodged an application for asylum in the EU+ in October 2015, down 22 % compared to previous month. October saw the lowest monthly level of WB nationals registered in 2015. This drop was the result of the measures implemented by destination countries (mainly Germany) to add WB countries to their national list of safe countries of origin, prioritise decision-making on WB cases and speed up returns. 3. Number and type of decisions issued in first instance in EU+ countries In October 2015, EU+ countries issued 64 229 decisions at first instance, the highest number since the EPS data collection started in March 2014, an increase of 15 % compared to September and 61 % higher than the level recorded in October 2014. In the EU+ as a whole, the share of positive decisions was 51 % of total decisions in first instance, six percentage points higher than in September 2015, reflecting the increased number of decisions issued on cases with high recognition rates (e.g. Syria and Eritrea). Syrians continued as the citizenship receiving the highest number of decisions at first instance. In October, EU+ countries issued 19 027 decisions on Syrian applications, 54 % more than in September. Of those decisions, 98 % resulted in a positive outcome; 83 % granted refugee status and 15 % granted subsidiary protection. The number of decisions issued in the EU+ on Albanian cases in October slightly decreased by 2 % compared to the month before, falling to 7 799. About 99 % of all first instance decisions issued to Albanians were negative. With the exception of Albanian applicants, the total number of decisions issued in October to all other top 10 citizenships increased compared to September. Additonal data and reports Quarterly reports are available here: easo.europa.eu/asylum-trends-analysis/quarterly-report Other EASO documentation is available here: easo.europa.eu/asylum-documentation/easo-publication-and-documentation www.easo.europa.eu

4 - EASO Newsletter November / December 2015 EASO participates in the relocation process from Greece EASO is contributing to the relocation process from Greece. In this context, several EASO experts have been deployed to Greece to support the relocation process. The first group of 30 Syrians and Iraqis has being relocated to Luxembourg on 4 November 2015. EASO will continue to support the relocation process in both Italy and Greece. The 54th Conference of Parliamentary Committees for Union Affairs of Parliaments of the European Union (COSAC) On 30 November 2015, the Conference of Parliamentary Committees for Union Affairs (COSAC) Meeting was held in Luxembourg. Since mid-october 2015, EASO experts have been deployed in Lesvos and Athens to support the Greek authorities with the relocation process. EASO s role can be summarised in 3 points: Provision of information on the asylum procedure and on the relocation procedure to the persons disembarking, in order to inform applicants on the relocation scheme (in the hotspots) and on the asylum procedure in Greece. Operations started in Lesvos and will be gradually expanded. Supporting the matching of applicants with the most appropriate Member State of Relocation and preparing the transfer to the Member State of Relocation. EASO experts assist the units processing such files as well as with regular Dublin cases. EASO Spokesperson, Mr. Jean-Pierre Schembri was among the keynote speakers during the session dedicated to the European Agenda on Migration. Mr. Schembri delivered a presentation on the latest asylum situation and EASO s work in the hotspots. EASO reports to the European Parlaiment on the state of play of relocation in the hotsports On 1 December 2015, EASO Spokesperson, Mr. Jean-Pierre Schembri participated in the European Parliament Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) meeting. Detecting fraudulent documents during the registration process of applicants for international protection. The activity aims to give advice on existing practices, tools and techniques. EASO is expected to continue and increase its support to Greece and Italy, on relocation and other asylum issues, in the coming months. Quick Link European Commission (press-release) can be viewed via: http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_ip-15-5971_en.htm Hellenic Republic - Ministry of Interior and Administrative Reform (press-release) can be viewed via: http://asylo. gov.gr/en/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/first_relocation_ en.pdf European Parliament During his debrief, Mr. Schembri provided an updated on the state of play of relocation operations in the hotspots in Italy and Greece. The situation in the Western Balkans and the results of consultation with Member States on the safe countries of origin was also discussed.

EASO Newsletter November / December 2015-5 On the hotspots, EASO explained its activities in both Italy and Greece. Its main focus is to provide information upon disembarkation, providing support to the registration process and supporting the matching of applicants to suitable Member States. EASO also highlighted the main challenges in the field. On the Western Balkans, EASO emphasized that from January to October 2015, 183,895 applications for asylum were launched by the Western Balkans countries. This makes the Western Balkans the second largest country of origin in the EU. The recognition rate for the Western Balkans citizens is at around 2%. EASO has been working with the Member States on this topic in view of the discussions Member States had in the Council of Ministers on the EU list of Safe Countries of Origin. Quick Link European Parliament TV - Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs meeting proceedings can be viewed via: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/ep-live/en/ committees/video?event=20151201-1500-committee- LIBE EASO COI Network Seminar on Somalia On 3 and 4 November, a seminar of the COI Specialist Network on Somalia was held in Malta. The purpose of the seminar was for network members to update each other on recent information needs and new and upcoming national products. Furthermore, two UN experts, based in Mogadishu, Somalia, were invited to give presentations on recent developments in Somalia. A Security Information Analyst for the UN Department of Safety and Security (UNDSS), gave up-to-date information on the security situation in different parts of Somalia. The second speaker was the head of UNDP s Somalia Governance and Rule of Law portfolio in Somalia. His presentations focused on the legal framework of Somalia, the rule of law and access to justice in South-Central Somalia. The issue of citizenship, which is especially difficult for ethnic minorities, was discussed, as well as the government s policies related to minorities and gender. Also discussed was the current constitutional process, in particular the various federalisation processes and their impact on the security and daily life of the local population. The seminar, which was attended by 16 COI experts from EU+ countries, was highly valued by the participants, in particular the two UN speakers were praised for their knowledge and expertise. EASO intends to draft a security update as a follow-up to the previously-published EASO country overview report on Somalia (2014), which is due to be published in the beginning of 2016. EASO participates in UNICEF Expert Meeting The EU asylum and migration acquis have increasingly included specific safeguards and provisions to ensure the best interests of every child are a primary consideration in protection and return decisions. Assessing a child s best interests requires the availability of timely, child-focused and context-specific factual information. To date, the need for child-specific country of origin information has not yet completely been addressed. Shutterstock She gave information on key security threats (armed conflict, terrorism, and crime) in Somalia over the past three years and highlighted the current security trends in Mogadishu, South-Central Somalia, Somaliland, and Puntland. She further discussed the terrorist organisation Al-Shabaab as a threat actor, its organisational developments and its changing tactics, techniques, and procedures. UNICEF Recognizing this critical gap, UNICEF, supported by the European Commission, has developed a methodology for child-focused COI and produced five Child Notices child-specific country of origin reports describing the actual child rights situation in key countries of origin (Afghanistan, Albania, Guinea, Morocco, and Sudan). As part of the Advisory Group, EASO provided guidance and support to the development of the methodology and to the drafting of the Child Notices. www.easo.europa.eu

6 - EASO Newsletter November / December 2015 0n 10 November 2015, in Brussels, UNICEF presented the Child Notices during the Expert Meeting Better information, better decisions: UNICEF s Child Notices; Country of Origin Information from a child right s perspective. Bringing together senior EU and national decision-makers, parliamentarians, experts, civil society partners and EASO, the meeting provided an opportunity to share and discuss experiences and lessons learned with regard to the development of child-specific country of origin information reports. In particular, a speakers forum, with UNICEF representatives from various countries (Afghanistan, Albania, Sudan), discussed research methodology and challenges, COI needs on children and next steps. Four Child Notices (Afghanistan, Albania, Guinea, Morocco) and the Methodology guidance on Child Notice are available on the UNICEF/ Netherlands website at: www.unicef.nl/childnotices. The Child Notice on Sudan will be published by the end of the year. These documents are also available on the EASO COI Portal and on the EASO Children s platform. Safe Countries of Origin; EASO s Annual Report on the Situation of Asylum in the EU and the EASO Work Programme 2016. EASO Executive Director a.i., Mr. José Carreira, said This year s forum comes at a very important time. With over 1 million asylum applicants since EASOthe beginning of this year and with the implementation of the Migration agenda, we need to be prepared to answer to the additional demands from Member States and help relieve the pressure on their asylum systems. I aim to make EASO more operational and better equipped to quickly respond to the changing reality on the ground. In this context, consultation with civil society is not an option but a necessity. Quick Link To apply for membership of the Consultative Forum follow this link: https://easo.europa.eu/easo-consultativeforum/easo-consultative-forum/ The registration form can be sent to consultative-forum@ easo.europa.eu EASO held its 5th Consultative Forum Plenary Meeting marking five years of cooperation with Civil Society continue reading from page 1.: EASO attaches great importance to consulting and exchanging views with civil society. In this perspective, this year s Forum represented a great opportunity for EASO to carry out a fruitful dialogue with key organizations and other interested stakeholders, united in the common effort of improving the way we deal with the reality on the ground. As a European centre of expertise, consultation for EASO is not just an annual meeting but a very effective way to share knowledge and expertise on the many aspects of asylum. Over the past five years, this consultative process provided EASO with additional insight and information which have proven vital to develop more advanced cooperation tools aimed at supporting the implementation the Common European Asylum System. This year s edition was marked by opening remarks from the recently appointed EASO s Executive Director ad interim, Mr. José Carreira. Three thematic roundtables, focusing on the main EASO activities linked to the implementation of the newly adopted EU Migration Agenda, followed. Main discussions included: EASO s Activities in the Hotspots in Italy and Greece: Achievements So Far and Next Steps; EASO and the Western Balkans Migration Route and Western Balkans as EASO s technical press briefing in the margins of Valletta Summit on Migration On 10 November 2015, in the margins of the Valletta Summit on Migration, the European Asylum Support EASO Office held a technical press briefing on the situation of asylum in the EU. During the briefing, EASO Executive Director a.i. Mr. José Carreira and the EASO Spokesperson, Mr Jean-Pierre Schembri gave an update on EASO s work in the hotspots. Quick Link For the presentation see: https://easo.europa.eu/wpcontent/uploads/press-presentation-final.pdf SUPPORT IS OUR MISSION

High-level visits to EASO In the month of November, in particular, in the margins of the Valletta Summit, on 10/11 November, EASO welcomed a number of high level visitors. The main topics of discussions were: the situation of asylum in the EU; EASO s work on relocation; and exploring areas for future cooperation. In the next column is a selection of pictures from these visits: EASO Newsletter November / December 2015-7 Prime Minister of Iceland Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson EASO participates in the Salzburg Forum - Ministerial Conference OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier This year s Salzburg Forum was hosted during the Bulgaria presidency in its capital of Sofia from 18 to 19 November 2015. The Salzburg Forum is a Central European government initiative on internal security. The main theme discussed among the member states of the Salzburg Forum was unprecedented refugee pressure in Southeast and Eastern Europe and the migrant flow on the Balkan route. Moreover, the need to foster conditions for better exchange of information between the security services was highly emphasised during this regional cooperation forum. Executive Director a.i. of EASO, Mr. José Carreira was among the participants of the conference. Her Excellency President of the Swiss Confederation, Ms. Simonetta Sommaruga mvr.bg EASO Support to Bulgaria Minister of Justice and Equality of Ireland, Ms. Frances Fitzgerald In the margins of the Salzburg Forum, ED EASO ad interim Mr. José Carreira met with Bulgaria member of the EASO Management Board, Mr. Kazakov. The two discussed the situation of asylum in Bulgaria, EASO s work in the hotspots and the EASO operating plan with Bulgaria. Bulgaria expressed their full satisfaction with EASO support. EASO expressed its readiness to increase its support to Bulgaria should the need arises. EASO provides support to Bulgaria since October 2013. EASO support runs until June 2016. www.easo.europa.eu

8 - EASO Newsletter November / December 2015 EASO Training Curriculum EASO Training National Contact Point meeting On 28-29 October 2015 EASO organised its second Training National Contact Points (NCP) meeting for this year. The meeting aimed to provide Training NCPs with a comprehensive update on recent developments in the EASO Training Curriculum and to discuss other training-related issues. The participants discussed the Training Plan for 2016, which includes both train-the-trainers sessions in Malta and regional train-thetrainers sessions. Due attention was paid to the ongoing work on the revision of the EASO Training Strategy and the EASO Training Brochure. NCPs also had the opportunity to discuss the Terms of Reference for the EASO Training Curriculum. Furthermore, during this meeting EASO presented to the NCPs its practical tools on personal interview, evidence assessment, identification of persons with special needs and access to procedure. The EASO Training NCP meeting was attended by 16 EU+ States and representatives of Frontex and UNHCR. EASO Training Plan 2016 EASO has issued its annual training plan with the train-the-trainers sessions to be organised in Malta. The plan for regional train-the-trainers sessions will be published in the first semester of 2016 after further consultations with EU+ States. The Training Plan 2016 can be found below. Please note that the Training Plan might be subject to modifications and amendments depending on the needs of EU+ States. DISCLAIMER: EASO reserves the right to change the dates of the above mentioned training sessions. The participation to EASO training sessions may be limited and restricted. Target group: The courses are aimed for individuals who will become national trainers in the EASO training modules. The language of the courses is English. Location: Face-to-face sessions will take place in Malta. Costs: There are no fees for the training, but participants have to cover their own costs for travel and accommodation. All participants should book their travels and accommodation only after final issuance of the invitation letter in order to avoid cancellations! Subscription: Please send your subscriptions to training@easo.europa.eu as soon as possible, and no later than the dates indicated above. Face to face session: Each face to face session consists of 1-2 days of content related training plus one day on didactics and half day on the use of the EASO Training platform. Although we always recommend to the participants to attend the whole training, those who have already received the training on didactic and the e-platform (through other training in EASO Training Curriculum) in the past can opt to skip this part of the face to face session. Should you choose this option, kindly inform us while filling-in the registration form. SUPPORT IS OUR MISSION

Deployment of experts for the EASO training activities At the beginning of 2016 EASO will start deploying Member States trainers on content and didactics for delivery of its train-the-trainers sessions in the first semester of 2016. At the same time EASO is focusing on extending its list of external experts. EASO has opened a call for expressions of interest in a wide range of areas. Experts who meet the criteria specified in the call will be included in the EASO list of external experts. Currently EASO is searching above all for experts who will assist EASO in delivering didactic sessions and developing the didactic part of its training materials. We would like to encourage experts in didactics and e-learning to apply within the call for expressions of interest in order to become part of EASO list of external experts. More information about the call for expressions of interest can be found on the EASO website. Annual Reference Group Meeting The Annual Reference Group meeting was held on 1 December 2015 in Malta. During the meeting a number of key issues having an impact on the cooperation between EASO and members of the Reference Group were discussed. The participants reflected on a way forward to ensure an efficient workflow between the Reference Group and the content experts responsible for developing / upgrading / updating EASO training materials. They also discussed their contribution to the development of the EASO Practical Tools and how to ensure full participation of the Reference Group in the quality-related activities. Finally, EASO plans for 2016 were shared with the members of the Reference Group. EASO Newsletter November / December 2015-9 Kick-off meeting for the development of the module on Introduction to International Protection On 2-3 December EASO held a kick-off meeting for the development of the module on Introduction to International Protection. EASO Training Curriculum has been mainly used as a permanent support tool, assisting Member States in establishing a solid training framework for their personnel working in the field of international protection or complementing their existing national training structures. However EASO has been also using the Training Curriculum to support Member States on an ad hoc basis in the framework of emergency or special support in response to specific situations. Specific situations such as unexpected increase in the number of applicants for international protection have led Member States to request emergency or special support from EASO. A common need for these Member States included the development of concise yet comprehensive training material particularly on basic concepts of the EU legal framework on asylum and which can be used for various officials working in the field. In order to facilitate the delivery of this type of training as well as to ensure its quality and a harmonised approach, EASO has decided to develop a module on Introduction to International Protection. This decision was taken based on the discussions with the NCPs at the EASO Training NCP meeting in May 2015 and as a result of the survey which followed the meeting. This module should serve Member States benefitting from emergency or special support, as well as a useful tool for Member States which are temporarily not able to train their newly hired officials using the modules forming part of the EASO learning path due to specific situations. The module will serve only as an introduction to the work in the field of international protection and will not in any way substitute the training in the core modules of the EASO Training Curriculum for the respective target group. The module will be developed by a Content Expert Group which includes experts from Netherlands, United Kingdom, Finland, Romania and Greece with the support of an EASO Focal Point and the EASO Reference Group. The module is envisaged to be finalised in 2016. More information on EASO s training is available on easo.europa.eu/about-us/tasks-of-easo/training-quality www.easo.europa.eu

10 - EASO Newsletter November / December EASO Cooperation with courts and tribunals continue reading from page 1.: Alluding to the current challenges with which the EU+ countries are confronted, Koen Lenaerts, President of the CJEU, praised the timeliness of the meeting and expressed his conviction of the necessity to further the cooperation and dialogue between members of courts and tribunals within the EU+. In their opening statements, representative of the International Association of Refugee Law Judges (IARLJ) and the Association of European Administrative Judges (AEAJ) echoed this sentiment and emphasised the need for further discussion as the basis for judicial development with a view to ensuring consistency and quality in decision-making. The European Judicial Training Network (EJTN) noted the key role for training and professional development measures in achieving these aims. In their respective keynote addresses, Judges Lars Bay Larsen of the CJEU and Ledi Bianku of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) referred to the difficulty of the task facing national judges on a daily basis, while at the same time reinforcing the need to work jointly towards ensuring similar outcomes for similar cases. This latter notion has been a key concept that has strongly influenced the support provided by EASO in all areas. Furthering the development of EASO s support to members of courts and tribunals On 3-4 December, the EASO network of court and tribunal members convened at the EASO premises in Malta to hold their Annual Coordination and Planning Meeting. This meeting brings together representatives of the courts and tribunals of the EU+ countries as well as other key partners including IARLJ, AEAJ, EJTN and the Academy of European Law (ERA) and the relevant European Courts, CJEU and ECtHR. As progress on the EASO Professional Development Series for Members of Courts and Tribunals continues apace with the recent conclusion of the Judicial Analyses on Exclusion and an Introduction to the CEAS (in collaboration with IARLJ) respectively, this meeting focussed on the activities of the network for 2016 and beyond. Topics to be discussed include the methodology for the development of Judicial Trainer Guidance Notes, the potential for the creation of a case-law database as well as the dissemination strategy to be developed in respect of the materials already being made available by EASO. During the course of the conference, invited expert members of courts and tribunals as well as speakers from European and international organisations, civil society and academia discussed on a number of current topics including the relevance of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU in asylum cases, current trends in relation to qualification for international protection and judicial considerations of the challenges with which the Dublin system is currently confronted. Interactive working group sessions were also held on subsidiary protection, exclusion, country-of-origin information and credibility and evidence assessment. As a result of the overwhelmingly positive resonance of the participants, it is hoped to find an opportunity to organise another such meeting at a suitable date in the future. In light of the proposal to consider developing materials on practical aspects related to the judicial use of country-of-origin information (COI), a workshop will also be organised with the support of EASO s Centre for Information, Documentation and Analysis. It is envisaged that this workshop will be the genesis for a practical judicial guidance on COI to be developed in 2016. Vulnerable Groups Kick off meeting for the development of a new EASO training tool on Trafficking in Human Beings (THB) Addressing THB is a constant in EASO work programmes since it was established in 2010. Potential victims of THB are a special group within vulnerable groups in the asylum process. To ensure that asylum officials will have a raised awareness on detecting and SUPPORT IS OUR MISSION

EASO Newsletter November / December 2015-11 referring THB victims, tools and information are being developed as part of capacity building in the EASO tool box. In this regard, EASO is mainstreaming THB aspects related to asylum in all EASO activities, and supports policy coherence. EASO aims at supporting the EU Strategy towards the eradication of Trafficking in Human Beings 2012-2016. Moreover, it is an obligation established in the Directive 2011/36/EU on preventing and combating trafficking in human beings and protecting its victims, to train officials likely to come in contact with the victims. During the EASO Expert Meeting on Identification of victims of Trafficking in Human Beings who may be in need of International Protection that was held in Malta on 6-7 May 2015, the need to develop a common training tool for EU+ countries International Protection Practitioners was identified. The aim of the tool will be to ensure a common approach from Member States to those cases of individuals who have been trafficked or who fear being trafficked, whose claim for international protection falls within the refugee or beneficiary of subsidiary protection definition. In July, a mapping on training needs from Member States on trafficking in human beings and International Protection was done by EASO, and after processing all the information provided by the Member States, the Kick off meeting for the development of a training tool on THB took place on 19-20 November. The tool will be developed by a Content Expert Group which includes experts from Belgium, Malta, The Netherlands, Switzerland and United Kingdom. The Content Expert Group will be supported by an EASO focal point and the Reference Group for the development of this module. The regular members of EASO Reference Group that will be asked to collaborate in the development of the module will be the European Commission, UNHCR and ECRE. The development of the tool is envisaged for completion in 2016. During the kick off meeting is was agreed that need to develop a two stepped training tool in which the first level will be focused on awareness raising and knowledge on the topic for all possible staff that could come across a victim or potential victim of trafficking in human beings, and the second level will be focused on specialised training on skills for case officers and decision makers who may encounter a victim of THB in the asylum procedure. During this meeting the group also decided about the draft structure of the tool and distributed the tasks among the experts. They were also informed about EASO guidelines, procedure and code of practise for Content Experts in the developing of training modules. Trafficking in Human Beings Contact Points coordination meeting On the 16th November, EASO participated in the second meeting organised by the European Commission in 2015 in the framework of the Coordination meetings of Trafficking in Human Beings (THB) Contact Points in Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) Agencies. The first coordination meeting took place last 23 March. Together with the representative from the COM- Office of the EU Anti-Trafficking Coordinator (EU-ATC) and from EASO, there were present representatives from all the JHA Agencies that signed the Joint Statement of the Heads of the EU Justice and Home Affairs Agencies on the occasion of the 5th EU Anti-trafficking day (18 Oct 2011): CEPOL, EIGE, EUROPOL, EUROJUST, FRA and FRONTEX. The Office of the EU-ATC updated the participants on the state of transposition of the Anti-Trafficking Directive 2011/36/EU, and the implementation of the EU Strategy towards the eradication of THB 2012-2016 since the adoption of the Midterm report of 17th October 2014, together with an update of the recently published an ongoing studies and reports. The representative of each Agency also updated the coordination group on the most important developments of each Agency on the THB issue since the last meeting held in March 2015. The aim is to coordinate activities among Agencies, avoid duplications and find possible fields of enhanced cooperation to address the complex transnational phenomenon of THB. Among the discussions, the possible content of the post 2016 new Strategy towards the Eradication of Trafficking in Human Beings was addressed in the context of the current migrant and refugee crisis. www.easo.europa.eu

12 - EASO Newsletter November / December Quality Quality Matrix: Annual meeting of the National Contact Points on Quality of the asylum process, as well as in the reception context. Since its kick-off three years ago, the EASO Quality Matrix has covered nine of the key areas of the CEAS, producing thematic reports for internal use of Member States administrations, EASO, the European Commission and other relevant institutions of the European Union, and UNHCR. It has also produced five practical tools, publicly available through the EASO Practical Guides Series at the EASO website: EASO held its third annual meeting of the National Contact Points on Quality on 25-26 November 2015, in Malta. The meeting was attended by Member States, the European Commission and UNHCR. It was an opportunity to take a step back and evaluate the work done in the Quality Matrix to-date, as well as to engage in a discussion on the way forward. The meeting further focused on two specific topics: ensuring quality in high influx situations; and the use of the practical tools developed in the Quality Matrix process. A dedicated session on Practical response to high influx situations engaged participants in discussions on different measures which could be taken in order to deal with a significant increase in caseload. A broad range of administrative, organisational and procedural approaches was considered, building on interventions from France, Germany, the Netherlands and Romania. Participants explored together the advantages, disadvantages, potential risks in implementing particular measures and ways to implement them without compromising quality. An outline of these discussions will be consolidated by EASO to support Member States reflecting on potential measures in this respect. The EASO practical tools developed in the Quality Matrix framework were presented to participants, with interventions regarding their development and integration in national systems, as well as in other EASO support tools, such as the EASO Training Curriculum modules. Participants also tested the demo version of one of the new tools developed in this context, the EASO Tool for identification of persons with special needs (IPSN Tool). They concluded on its usefulness and intuitive interactivity, which would potentially allow for the tool to be integrated in different national systems and at different stages The annual meeting of the National Contact Points on Quality was also an opportunity to discuss together the way forward. Some of the potential lines of activities for 2016 include exploring topics in a more targeted manner and in the format of advanced workshops, developing new practical tools and enhancing the focus on general quality assurance topics. The plan of 2016 activities would be further devised in consultation with the EASO Quality Network. SUPPORT IS OUR MISSION

Establishing the EASO Network of Dublin Units The European Agenda on Migration provides that: At Union level, the European Asylum Support Office (EASO) will support Member States by establishing a dedicated network of national Dublin Units. The need for a dedicated platform for exchange among Dublin experts has also been expressed in different EASO fora, including during the EASO Quality Matrix meeting on Dublin Procedure, held in March 2015. It was further confirmed during the EASO Management Board meeting in September 2015. In order to establish the Network of Dublin Units, EASO, in close cooperation with the European Commission, set up a Working Group of Member States experts in the Dublin field. The Working Group met in Malta on 18 20 November 2015 to discuss the concept of the EASO Network of Dublin Units, its structure, tasks and operational modalities. EASO Newsletter November / December 2015-13 EASO ENPI project activities in November and December 2015 On 30 Nov 4 Dec 2015, a Delegation of 9 Moroccan officials of the Moroccan Bureau des Refugies at des Apatrides (BRA), will visit the Spanish and French Asylum services to get a full overview on the asylum procedures from the lodging of the application to the final decisions. This will be very useful for the BRA as it is the main body that is currently dealing with asylum applications in Morocco. On 23-27 Nov 2015, EASO sponsored the participation of 7 TCNs to the IARLJ Africa Regional Chapter pre-conference and conference held in Marrakech, Morocco. The TCNs sponsored were from Tunisia, Jordan, Egypt and South Africa. The ENPI project extended the sponsorship to TC beyond the three directly involved in the project (Tunisia, Morocco and Jordan) as a way to promote wider cooperation and best practices exchanges within a regional forum like the IARLJ. Moreover, the participation of one UK Upper Tribunal judge was sponsored by the project in order to make sure the EU perspective on asylum procedures and the role of judges would be adequately presented during the event. Finally, the ENPI project contributed together with the EASO External Dimension to the implementation of a third activity on 26 Nov- 4 Dec 2015: a Regional Training and Workshop in Istanbul for TCNs from North Africa and the Middle East: Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Lebanon and Jordan. The EASO Network of Dublin Units is envisaged to function on two levels: A Steering Group, composed of the Heads of the national Dublin units will operate on strategic level and hold periodic meetings to identify issues of mutual interest and set priorities for the work of the Expert Group. An Expert Group will be established to serve as a platform for Dublin Units to exchange practical information and create and maintain a pool of expertise and relevant resources on Dublin issues. Based on the outcomes of the Working Group meeting, EASO will consolidate the Terms of Reference for the EASO Network of Dublin Units and prepare the launch of the Network with the first meeting of the Steering Group, scheduled to take place early next year. IARLJ Africa Regional Chapter pre-conference and conference held in Marrakech, Morocco The activity is of particular importance for EASO for two reasons: it is the first time the training sessions are conducted by TCNs (trained as trainers in EASO three core modules as part of the ENPI project) and because it is the first time EASO delivers the three core modules (Inclusion, Evidence Assessment and Interview Techniques) in the Arabic language. Indeed, as part of the ENPI project activities, the three core modules were translated, proofread and uploaded on the EASO platform. www.easo.europa.eu

14 - EASO Newsletter November / December Programme in North Africa and the IPA II Regional Programme in the Western Balkans and Turkey were presented and shared. EASO expert Ms. Barbara Opalska with EASO sponsored judges at IARLJ Africa Regional Chapter conference held in Marrakech, Morocco This Regional training is the first pilot project for the delivery of EASO trainings in Arabic and key feedback by all participants will contribute to future improvements in the Arabic versions of EASO modules for the continuation of similar sessions as part of the EASO External dimension activities. MS/AC countries also shared their initiatives in the external dimension, in particular the Netherlands presented their future role as leading partner of the RDPP Horn of Africa and Sweden presented their projects in the Western Balkans and Turkey. The meeting was concluded by sharing the common understanding of the clear added value of coordinated EU initiatives in the field of asylum and international protection in the external dimension. One of the workshops held in Istanbul for TCN 4th EASO External Dimension Network meeting On 17 November 2015, EASO held the fourth External Dimension Network meeting. Representatives of fourteen MS/ACs, DG Home, DG Near and UNHCR participated in the meeting. During the meeting, which was introduced by the Head of COS, updates on EASO past and future activities in the external dimension were presented and discussed with all present stakeholders. In particular, the progress of the ENPI project was discussed as well as the EASO proposals for intervention within the framework of both the Regional Development and Protection EASO following closely the asylum situation in Romania Mr. Jose Carreira, EASO Executive Director ad interim met with the Romanian Member of the EASO Management Board, Mr. Nelu Pop. The two discussed the situation of asylum in the EU and the situation of asylum in Romania. Future areas of cooperation and support from EASO were also discussed. Mr. Jose Carreira with Mr. Nelu Pop SUPPORT IS OUR MISSION

On behalf of the EASO staff, we wish you a very Happy Holiday season and a peaceful and prosperous New Year BZ-AA-14-014-EN-N EASO Vacancies EASO has recently published the following vacancies on its website Open calls Reference Number Title Closing Date EASO/2015/TA/010 Quality Management Officer (AD 7) 18 January 2016 Your opinion is important to us! Visit the EASO consultation calendar, to keep updated on when EASO will open consultation procedures: EASO is on Facebook. Follow us and receive updates on EASO activities by liking our page facebook.com/easo.eu Subscribe to the EASO Newsletter via: easo.europa.eu/news/newsletter EASO is on Twitter Follow us on @EASOPress European Asylum Support Office, 2015. Neither EASO nor any person acting on its behalf may be held responsible for the use which may be made of the information contained therein. EASO notices (including vacancies) Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged.