The main priority for UNHCR in the SEE is to support the authorities to address the mixed refugee/migrant flows comprehensively in a protection-sensitive approach with the aim to create a region of solutions, rather than transit.
This entails efforts in collaboration and coordination with the authorities and other key stakeholders to ensure that most urgent humanitarian and protection needs are appropriately responded to and protection risks are minimized, particularly for refugees, asylum seekers and other vulnerable individuals, such as unaccompanied and separated children, victims of SGBV, persons with special needs.
- Similarly, special attention is given to strengthening the asylum procedures, including access to and enhancing the quality of the procedures, information thereof through legal aid, and safeguarding the respect for the principle of non-refoulement. Ultimately support for local integration of those recognized being in need of international protection to foster self-reliance and facilitate access to basic rights and services without discrimination.
- In line with the principles of the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework, UNHCR in the SEE will implement a “whole of society” approach, involving a broad range of actors and innovative partnerships, to support resilience of refugees and local communities and promote refugee inclusion.
- As part of the UN family, UNHCR will promote the inclusion of displacement and asylum issues into the work pertaining to the 2030 Agenda (SDG’s), promoting actively the principle that no one should be left behind and seeking solutions to the displacement as well as statelessness, advocating for the inclusion of refugees, asylum seekers, IDPs and stateless across the implementation of all goals.
- Having in mind the importance of the regional cooperation and reconciliation efforts through the Regional Housing Programme aimed at providing sustainable solutions to the most vulnerable persons displaced between 1991-95 armed conflicts, UNHCR (in close partnership with OSCE) will continue with its strategic engagement in the RHP. UNHCR will continue to support transparent, consistent and fair implementation of the RHP. Our focus remains on the process of selection of beneficiaries and sustainability aspects of the provided solutions.
- In the area of addressing and preventing statelessness, ensuring access to personal documentation and birth registration will require continued cooperation in 2019 between UNHCR offices in the region and relevant State Authorities, including Consulates or relevant countries, with potential of continuing support to cross-border cooperation between the authorities to achieve reduction of statelessness and local integration among Roma, with unhindered access to personal documentation as the pre-condition. This will further contribute to fully meet the set goal of the #IBelong campaign: eradicate statelessness in South Eastern Europe by 2024.