Decision-makers have the power the alter the lives of entire families - says Regional Co-ordinator Michael Ross. Photo: UNHCR Slovakia.

Quality Initiative for Central European

Asylum System is yielding first results

Budapest, 24 March 2009 - Being a decision-maker in asylum procedures is a challenging task, requiring sophisticated legal, social, analytical and personal skills. Within its Quality Initiative for the improvement of asylum procedures, UNHCR is now assisting adjudicators in eight Central European countries to enhance those skills. The Quality Initiative is the largest international project ever conducted for the long-term improvement of entire national asylum systems.

In early March UNHCR invited all 17 decision-makers in Slovakia to attend a two-day seminar discussing practical issues of their daily work and help them overcome difficulties they face. Seminars in all other participating countries will follow.

Asylum decisions can alter
the lives of entire families

"We expect a lot from asylum adjudicators", says Michael Ross, a seasoned international asylum expert and Regional Evaluator of the Quality Initiative. "They have to be excellent interviewers, able to establish an atmosphere of trust and cooperation. We also want them to be well informed about the situation in the countries of origin so they can judge the plausibility of refugee stories. Also, they need to be excellent legal scholars, familiar with international, national and EU legislation."

Michael Ross says that this is asking a great deal from one person: "After all, these people have the power to completely alter the lives of entire families. They carry an enormous responsibility on their shoulders."

Decision makers in the first instance of the asylum procedure are only the first group whose work is to be evaluated and assisted in the framework of the Quality Initiative. The second instance, which, in most cases, is a national court, is next on the agenda.

This project is co-funded by the European Union and UNHCR and implemented by an international UNHCR project team in Austria, Bulgaria, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia.

"There has never been such an ambitious international effort to evaluate and improve entire asylum systems," says UNHCR's Regional Representative Gottfried Köfner. "We are nearly halfway through the Quality Initiative and are already starting to see the positive impact and a new spirit of cooperation between authorities and UNHCR."

In its first phase, the national evaluators observed the work of first instance authorities in the participating countries and evaluated the strengths and weaknesses in this system. Furnished with these initial results, the Regional Evaluator designs national seminars that exactly meet the needs of the decision makers.

The seminar in Slovakia proved a great success. "We understood that this is not a tutorial but a discussion between professionals." commented one of the participants. Hence the atmosphere was relaxed and discussions were animated.

Participants appreciated the materials and practical advice they received at the seminar. Photo: UNHCR Slovakia.

The agenda comprised very practical issues: How does one asses the credibility of an asylum seeker? How to conduct interviews with minors? How to structure the cooperation between interviewer and interpreter? What is the role of the legal counsel? How to best write reasons and conclusion after conducting the interviews?

"We are not teaching them things developed in the Ivory Tower, but we offer them practical advice and support," says Quality Initiative Evaluator Michael Ross.

"I have been sceptical about being monitored and observed for months," one of the Slovak Decision-makers said. "But now I realise that this has served UNHCR to analyse our work and prepare a useful seminar for our concrete needs. I can take the check lists I got here and start using them in my work tomorrow."

The seminar in Slovakia was the second in a series to be held in each participating country over the next few months. At the same time, the project team is shifting its attention towards second instance authorities and appeal procedures.

The Quality Initiative started in September 2008 and will run for 18 months. It is a flagship project of asylum policy in Central Europe and includes phases of observation, analysis and tailor-made training of staff working in the first and second instances of asylum procedures. It is carried out in full cooperation with the involved governments and courts.

By Melita H. Sunjic
UNHCR Budapest