Speaking out for refugee rights

This project is a joint project of ECRE and the Dutch Council for Refugees supported by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands under the Matra Social Transformation Programme for Central and Eastern Europe. The project will run from October 2005 to March 2008.

The project seeks to increase support and protection for refugees and asylum seekers in the Russian Federation, Belarus and Ukraine through capacity building for NGOs in the region assisting refugees, forced migrants and internally displaced persons.

Capacity building for NGOs is intended to increase advocacy and media skills of NGOs concerned and result in improved dialogue between NGOs and government as well as increased cooperation among NGOs themselves. One main objective of the project is to enhance strategic management and leadership skills of NGOs, for which support is provided through relevant exchanges and consultancies.

ECRE aims to strengthen local NGOs to enable them to pursue a more constructive dialogue with governmental and intergovernmental actors in the field of refugee protection and to improve governmental and public attitudes towards refugees, migrants and minority communities. This is to increase respect for human rights of refugees and asylum seekers in Russia, Belarus and Ukraine and to promote integration of refugees and forced migrants in the project countries.

Project partners:

Dutch Council for Refugees

Memorial Human Rights Centre, "Migration Rights" legal network in Russia

Legal Counselling Centre of Trade Union "Solidarity", "Human Rights Have No Borders", Lviv, Ukraine

Neeka (International Foundation for Health and Environment Protection "Region Karpat"), Mukachevo, Zakarpattya, Ukraine

South Ukrainian Centre for Young Lawyers, Odessa, Ukraine

Refugee Counselling Centre, Belarusian Movement of Medical Workers, Minsk, Belarus