On 27 September, Leyla Kayacik, Special Representative of the Secretary General of the Council of Europe on Migration and Refugees, presented to the Committee of Ministers the reports of her missions to Poland from 30 May to 3 June and to Moldova from 13 to 14 June. She tells EUROPE about these visits, which followed those she made in May in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. (Interview by Véronique Leblanc)
Agence Europe - As a member of the EU, Poland has activated the “Temporary Protection” mechanism initiated at EU level, but this was not the case for Moldova. Has this led to significant differences in the reception of refugees?
Leyla Kayacik - The influx of refugees triggered by Russia’s armed aggression against Ukraine has been massive in both countries. Poland received the largest number of refugees (1.16 million at the time of the visit), while Moldova was the most affected in terms of population, despite having little experience of receiving refugees. From 100 asylum applications per year before 24 February, it had risen to 85,000 refugees from Ukraine at the time of my visit.
Faced with this unprecedented crisis, Moldova declared a state of emergency in February 2022. The Ukrainians then had two options: to apply for asylum, or a 6-month right of residence. Their identification number gives them access to education, health and employment rights. In order to stabilise the rights of refugees, the Moldovan government is currently preparing a legislative framework for this mechanism directly inspired by “Temporary Protection”.
Regarding this identification number, you note in your report that the PESEL number granted by Poland under the “Temporary Protection” mechanism prevented refugees from visiting their families in Ukraine, as this could lead to the loss of their rights. What is that about?
This problem with the lack of an electronic document has been resolved. Refugees can now obtain such a document which proves their status in Poland.
Beyond a “state of play”, what can the Council of Europe do for Member States which are faced with the influx of Ukrainian refugees?
The Council of Europe develops human rights standards, and the aim of my department is to help Member States to apply them on the ground. This is done through training in cooperation with the authorities, development of guidelines, toolkits and checklists, provision of experts and expertise, etc.
In Moldova, for example, we will launch a project before the end of the year in cooperation with the authorities and other international bodies to avoid duplication. It concerns social workers and legal professionals who are on the front line in the reception of refugees. One aspect of this project is the detection of post-traumatic signs in women and children.
Where will you go next?
Romania, in mid-December. Being there in winter after four visits in spring is important.
After the Russian bombing of Ukrainian cities earlier this week, do you fear new refugee flows in the countries you visited?
Indeed, and this fear has been expressed by the countries concerned. Any escalation in Russian aggression carries this risk.
Link to the website of the Special Representative: https://aeur.eu/f/3kh