The Greek Ombudsman Andreas Pottakis is the new Chair of the Association of Mediterranean Ombudsmen (AOM) as of today.

The official assumption of the Presidency of the Association of Mediterranean Ombudsmen (AOM) by the Greek Ombudsman Andreas Pottakis, completed the meeting on 12 March 2019 between the Executive Committee and the Management Board of the organisation consisting of the Ombudsmen of the Mediterranean countries.

Andreas Pottakis succeeded to the chair the Albanian Ombudsman, Commissioner Erinda Balanka, who hosted the event in Tirana.

The Greek Ombudsman Andreas Pottakis published a report on the EU Relocation Programme for asylum seekers, on the occasion of the Regional Board of the International Ombudsman Institute (IOI) meeting in Athens on February 20, 2019. An assessment of the EU emergency measure of relocating asylum seekers form Greece to other Member-states was assigned to the Ombudsman by the IOI European Regional Board. Mr. Andreas Pottakis, participating in the Board, presented the report in their meeting in Brussels in October 2018 and also sent it to the Greek Minister for Migration, Dimitris Vitsas.

Please find attached the relevant press release as well as the relevant summary.

https://www.synigoros.gr/resources/20190225-pr.pdf

https://www.synigoros.gr/resources/20190225-summary-relocation.pdf

In Ireland asylum-seekers and their children are accommodated in residential institutions, under a reception system known as ‘Direct Provision’. The system meets the basic needs of food and shelter for asylum seekers directly while their claims for refugee status are being processed.

On Wednesday 13 March Irish Ombudsman Peter Tyndall published a report on his Office’s experience of dealing with complaints from refugees and asylum seekers living in direct provision centres in 2018.

The Ombudsman received 148 complaints from residents last year.  Most complaints related to the refusal of requests to transfer to other centres (32), facilities at direct provision centres (20), accommodation (14) and refusal to readmit residents to centres (13).

The Ombudsman also received complaints from residents about food, lack of cooking facilities and availability of transport.

In the report, the Ombudsman notes the positive impact that the ‘right to work’ has had for some residents and the resulting improved mood at many centres.  However residents who are in paid employment will be asked to pay a proportion of the cost of providing accommodation in line with their income.  The charges will be published by the Reception and Integration Agency.  Any complaint about the calculation of the charges can be examined by the Ombudsman.

The increase in the number of people seeking asylum in 2018 has led to pressures on the direct provision system.  The Ombudsman reiterated his view that direct provision is not a suitable long-term system for those waiting for a decision on their asylum application.

In 2018 the Ombudsman continued his Office’s programme of visits to centres. During visits, residents were given an opportunity to speak directly to Ombudsman staff with many additional complaints being resolved on-the-spot.

The full report is available here.

Les 18 et 19 mars, le Défenseur des droits, Jacques Toubon, est en Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes afin d’échanger avec les acteurs territoriaux de la défense des droits de l’enfant quelques mois avant le trentième anniversaire de la signature de la Convention internationale des droits de l’enfant.

• Le lundi 18, il visite la maison d’Izieu, le Mémorial des enfants juifs exterminés.
• Le mardi 19, il est à Saint-Etienne pour visiter une maison d’enfants à caractère social et déjeuner avec des associations engagées dans la défense des droits de l’enfant.

Cette visite est l’occasion pour le Défenseur des droits de rencontrer ses 64 délégués présents en Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes qui reçoivent gratuitement celles et ceux qui peinent à accéder à leurs droits. Mais également de présenter les données nationales et locales dont il dispose sur l’accès aux droits de la population, issues de son rapport annuel d’activité publié le 12 mars 2019, et de rappeler ses constats et recommandations sur la dématérialisation des services publics.

Ce déplacement est le premier d’une série de visites dans les 13 régions de France que Jacques Toubon effectuera dans les mois qui viennent.

Retrouvez dans Ouest-France cette semaine les explications du Défenseur des droits quant aux démarches à suivre pour que votre enfant poursuive sa scolarité malgré son hospitalisation.

La chronique est à retrouver dans la page « Vie quotidienne – Droits – consommation » de Ouest-France ainsi que sur internet.