«Developing partnerships for protection and reintegration of children, victims of trafficking, violence and exploitation. Transnational aspect» Antonina

«Developing partnerships for protection and reintegration of children, victims of trafficking, violence

and exploitation. Transnational aspect»

Antonina Comerzan,National Coordinator FACT-Transnational actions

25. May 2007 Tallinn

Why FACT?

Out-migration from Moldova (economic situation, unemployment, low wages, changes in values, etc.)

Increase in the number of children going abroad (Russia, Ukraine, Italy, Portugal)

FACT I 2005-2006 FACT II 2006 - 2009

Why FACT?

2004 Preliminary study on children (6 districts) Aspiration to migrate to the Western countries Vs. simplified

border-crossing procedure on the Eastern border + no language barrier

Mapping of cases when children are exploited for begging and seasonal work (Russia / Ukraine)

Categories of children going abroad: From poor families From rural areas From families-at-risk School graduates Invalids, etc.

Goal of the FACT project

Creating conditions for permanent interdepartmental co-operation between the Republic of Moldova and the Russian Federation for the purposes of detection, protection, repatriation, rehabilitation and reintegration of children - citizens of Moldova, victims of trafficking, violence and exploitation.

Categories of children whom we work with:

Moldavian children (up to 18) – victims of violence, exploitation and/or trafficking (found across the border of Moldova, disregarding their place of birth)

Child victims of violence, exploitation and/or trafficking, repatriated by other organizations but in need for further assistance;

Abandoned children, including those abandoned at birth (regarded as victims of violence)

Children exploited in hard labor, including those found across the border of Moldova (ILO Convention № 182)

Children at risk of becoming victims of violence, exploitation and/or trafficking (within the territory of the Republic of Moldova)

FACT partners

Agencies for social protection and guardianship -

Ministry of Education and YouthMinistry of Education and Youth;; District level – department for education, youth and sport;

Ministry of Social Protection, Family and ChildMinistry of Social Protection, Family and Child Department for social protection of the citizens District departments for social protection of the citizens; Social inspectors and social workers (on the local level)

Local administration Local administration (community/city councils) Temporary Residence Centers for Children; Boarding schools

FACT partners

Ministry of HealthMinistry of Health: Centre for temporary residence and rehabilitation of young

children, Chisinau (former Republican Children's Home); District hospitals and Family doctor centers (former District

Departments of Health); Family doctors (former district doctors)

Ministry of Internal AffairsMinistry of Internal Affairs: Centre for Temporary Maintenance of Children, Chisinau; Departments for youth affairs and district inspectors for youth

affairs (under 18) – within the district police commissariats; District police inspectors

FACT partners

Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European IntegrationMinistry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration Ministry of Informational Development Ministry of Informational Development National Council for Child Rights Protection National Council for Child Rights Protection

District councils for child rights protections Local councils for child rights protections

UNICEFUNICEF SDC/DDCSDC/DDC (Swiss Agency for Development and Co-operation) OSCEOSCE

Repatriation procedure (RVA)1.Identification – withdrawal

Child identification

Placing the child into a child institution

Ministry of the Interior of the Russian Federation,

Agencies for social protection and guardianship

2. Protection in the country where the child is found

Defining the child’s legal situation

Medical-psychological investigation

Filling in the Card of registration

Informing the agency for social protection

Police

Ministry of the Interior of the RF, Ministry of Internal Affairs of the RM, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration of the RM (Embassy),

Child Institution

Child Institution

Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration of the RM (Embassy)

Repatriation procedure (RVA)

3. Coordination and information exchange with the country of origin

Coordination and information exchange between the responsible departments

Controlling the authenticity of all the documents that the child has

Actualization of the institution (in RF) – confirmation from the Russian institution regarding the child’s placement there

Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Internal Affairs, Ministry of Education and Youth (Moldova), children institutions in Russia

Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Education and Youth (Moldova),

Local administration

Ministry of Education and Youth (Moldova)


4. Search for/ identification of the family

Establishing parents’ identity

Family investigation in Moldova

Ministry of Education and Youth, Ministry of Internal Affairs,


Ministry of Education and Youth, Ministry of Social Protection, Family and Child,


5. Outlining the plan for repatriation (time frames, conditions, preparation of the child)

Preparation of the documents

Preparation of the child for repatriation

Children institutions (RF)

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Ministry of Foreign Affairs (RF)

Ministry of Education and Youth (RM)

Ministry of Finance, Tdh


6.Repatriation/ protection of the child in the country of origin

Planning of the repatriation mission

Implementation of the repatriation missions

Preparation of the travel documents

Purchasing tickets

Financing travel expenses

Defining protection agency in charge for the child

Informing the institution in the country of destination about the means of protection for the child after his return

Ministry of Education and Youth RM, Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Ministry of Education and Youth RM

Ministry of Finance RM, Ministry of Education and Youth RM, Tdh

Ministry of Education and Youth RM, local administration

Ministry of Education and Youth RM, Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Repatriation procedure (RVA)7. Reintegration plan in the country of origin

Assigning an institution for temporary residence of the child

Assessment of the psycho-emotional condition of the child

Investigation of the family situation and evaluating the possibility for the child’s return

Elaborating the child’s Reintegration plan

Monitoring and evaluation of the Reintegration plan

Ministry of Education and Youth RM / Ministry of Social Protection, Family and Child

Children institution

Ministry of Education and Youth RM / Ministry of Social Protection, Family and Child, Ministry of Internal Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, local administration

Ministry of Education and Youth RM / Ministry of Social Protection, Family and Child, local administration, Children institution

Agency of social protection


8. Reintegration into the family

9. Monitoring of the child’s living in the family

Visit to the family

Elaboration of the questionnaire regarding social position of the family

Determining conditions for the child’s placement into the family





Conditions for initiating of the Repatriation procedure

Determining institutions and partners involved in the procedure

Determining responsible staff members from each of the involved institutions/structures

Operational information exchange between the parties (identification of the child, preparation/restoration of his/her documents, defining the legal status of the child, tracing the circumstances of the child’s arrival and stay in the country, etc.)

Determining financial sources for each step of the procedure

Drafting and signing the Agreement on child protection and repatriation (citizens of the Republic of Moldova)

Work with the family in the process of repatriation

Family identification identification stage : Documented confirmation of the parents’ identity Confirmation of the child’s identity and citizenship Defining parents’ place of living Looking for other relatives (extended family) Preliminary determination of the conditions for the child’s

return to his/her family Motivating the family

Working with the family in the process of repatriation

Assistance to the family in the course of rehabilitation and reintegration of the child: (together with partners)

Legal assistance (restoration of the documents) Education (placement in a child educational

institution, professional training, liquidation of educational gaps and illiteracy, individual learning)

Medical and psychological rehabilitation Material support on the first stage of family

reintegration (3-12 months)

Working with the family in the process of repatriation

Partnership on the community level Local administration Примэрия Educational institutions Council for the rights of the child District police inspector Family doctor Child’s relatives NGOs Local economic communityAlternatives to the return to the biological family Guardianship; Family type children’s home Temporary residence centre for children Boarding school Adoption

Instruments in use during the Repatriation procedure

“Child’s registration card”

(filled in by the children institution) “Child’s history”

(composed on the basis of prior visits to the family, preliminary study of the family’s life conditions)

“Individual plan of reintegration of the child”

(preliminary; approved; amended)

Individual plan of integration of the childIndividual plan of integration of the child (PIC) Individual plan of integration of the child (PIC) - (preliminary; amended):

1. Investigation of the family life conditions (material)Coordinated planning of the child’s occupation and education (medical treatment, education, professional training)Motivation and responsibility of the familyLegal support to the family2. Human and financial resources (local administration, social funds, etc.)

Basis of PIC: Preliminary evaluation of the family life conditions (prior to repatriation); Additional evaluation (after repatriation); Assessment of the child’s present situation (done by the Russian and Moldavian

experts after repatriation) Actions/measures aiming at rehabilitation and reintegration (foreseen by PIC) (Local administration – local agency for social protection – local Councils for child

rights protection – children institution – Tdh/ FACT project, IOM, NGOs and non-governmental funds)

Permanent monitoring (local agency for social protection –children institution – Tdh -IOM)

Statistics

Registered children: as of 20. February 2005 - 52 as of 1. November 2006 - 234 as of 15. May 2007 - 303

Repatriation missions - 9

Repatriated children - 89 incl.: December 2004 - December 2005 - 34 1. January – 25. December 2006 - 44 1.January – 1. April 2007 - 10+1

Statistics

Repatriated children (89): 0-7 - 31 8-12 - 24 13-17 - 34 Born in the RF - 19 Migrated with parents - 51 Migrated alone - 1 Migrated with relatives - 9 Migrated with other adults - 9 Abandoned in the streets/apartment - 34 Begging, working -23

Results ( January 2005 – April 2007)

Transnational protection Transnational protection

Out of 89 repatriated children: 58 (re-) integrated into the family (53 – biological

family / extended family / guardianship, 5 – adopted),

31 - the process of determining the best form of protection for them is currently ongoing (living in various institutions, including 11 children whose parents have not returned to Moldova for different reasons: they are in custody, they are sought by police, they don’t want to come back yet)

Perspectives Creating of the Regional regulative mechanism regarding

the process of children identification in the country where they are found in the situation of risk and the procedure of their repatriation to the country of origin;

Concluding interstate agreements regarding mutual responsibility to provide care and facilitate return of the children to their country of origin;

Elaborating and signing bilateral agreements in the field of child protection and repatriation (special cases);

Elaborating and implementation of a unified mechanism of identification, protection, repatriation and reintegration of the Moldavian children (Moldova-Russia-Ukraine)

Contact us

In Moldova: MD -2009

Chisinau

Kogalniceanu str. 81/1tel.(+373 22) 23 86 42; fax (+373 22) 23 34 07

In Russia:

107031, Moscow

Rozhdestvenka str.,7; оffice 212

Tel/fax (+7 495) 660 92 86

Thank you for your attention

Documents

«Developing partnerships for protection and reintegration of children, victims of trafficking, violence and exploitation. Transnational aspect» Antonina