Access Management and Suport Program (AMAS) 2009

In 2009 the Halina Nieć Legal Aid Center continued actions within the framework of Access Management and Support Program (AMAS) realized in cooperation with UNHCR. The priority activities were monitoring of Guarded Centers and Eastern Polish border  as well as trainings on the RSD procedure for Border Guard officers.

The project goals were as follows:

• Strengthening protection of beneficiaries by better access to legal counseling and information in detention facilities
• Monitoring and evaluation of the access to RSD procedures in Poland, including the scope of Dublin II procedures
• Rising awareness and knowledge of Border Guards about RSD procedures and treatment of vulnerable persons

The HNLAC’s employees regularly visited the following detention facilities: Guarded Centers in Przemyśl, Lesznowola, Kętrzyn, Białystok, Biała Podlaska, Krosno Odrzańskie and Deportation Arrests in Warsaw – Okęcie and Szczecin. They provided legal aid and information concerning filing applications for refugee status or other forms of protection in Poland and filing other applications or documents in the procedure. Simultaneously they monitored conditions in detention facilities and access to RSD procedures in Poland. Monitoring also included border crossings in Przemyśl – Medyka and Terespol.

Frequent visits in detention facilities and on the border allowed to gather comparative data of statistical character and to formulate substantive evaluations and remarks which resulted in publication of the HNLAC’s reports on vulnerable groups in refugee procedure and on Dublin II implementation.

The AMAS Program pays attention to priority role of Border Guard in refugee procedure. The course of the proceedings in later stages as well as the content of the final decision depend on  knowledge and competences of Border Guard officers. The HNLAC in cooperation with UNHCR organized therefore 3 trainings for 20 -25 officers on the RSD procedure in order to enhance their competences. These trainings were carried out in the Central Border Guards Training Center in Koszalin (6-9 July 2009 and 1-4 September 2009) and in the Border Guard Training Center in Kętrzyn (14-17 December 2009).

The trainings were entitled “Reinforcement of protection of refugees through better border management.” The subjects were as follows:

• the standards of treatment of asylum seekers;
• vulnerable groups treatment standards (unaccompanied minors as well as foreigners whose psychophysical state allows presuming that they have been victims of violence and foreigners with disabilities);
• non-refoulement principle;
• trauma and SGVB;
• cultural differences and work with asylum seekers from varied regions and social groups.

The HNLAC acknowledges further cooperation with Border Guard as priority matter. In 2010 a new monitoring initiative will be undertaken.