-----Original Message-----
From: [log in to unmask]
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Martin
Neubauer
Sent: Friday, August 25, 2000 5:28 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: For moderation - Re: Forced Migration Discussion group
Hello,
Speaking striktly from personal experience, it could easily just be lack of
trust. If somebody, whom I don't know, representing an institution I am
unfamiliar with, should request employment details on a former member of
staff, I am not sure if I would feel comfortable providing these data. It
might as well endanger this particular person.
In addition, a lot of well-meaning NGOs simply contact NGOs "in the field"
without thinking that this might endager the work and/or safety of the
contaced NGO. If working for that NGO was the main reason why the refugee
had to flee, then openly contacting that organisation by fax or e-mail is
potentially dangerous. Much better results are produced by asking
trustworthy people in the refugee community who still have contacts with
their home country to deliver a letter or a personal message. The client
usually is able to offer such contacts.
(If I may add: an additional problem around such circumstance is that even
if one is able to obtain an official letter stating that X has been employed
with Y during that time, asylum authorities in Europe are often very
reluctant to consider such statements in the asylum procedure. It is hard to
establish the fact that this particular letter is genuine and, indeed, it
might be not.)
BR,
Martin Neubauer
>
> In providing legal assistance to refugees who are seeking
asylum, one
> frequently encounters cases where the refugee has worked with
an NGO in
> either the country of origin, e.g. southern Sudan, or in the
country of
> asylum. In all such cases, the FACT of such employment can
serve as a
> measure of credibility, but in many cases, the very fact of being
employed
> by an NGO was the beginning of the person's troubles or led to
the
> claimant's being forced to flee. Thus far, in almost every case
when we
> have tried to confirm the employment of a refugee with an NGO,
we either
> do not get an answer or the NGO admits to not having complete
employment
> records. The urgency of such evidence does not appear to be
recognised by
> those with whom we have communicated.
>
> Having been responsible myself for an organisation that used
many
> volunteers as well as paid staff, I appreciate the difficulties of
keeping
> records on every volunteer. However, given the extremely
dangerous
> situations that NGOs can inadvertently or unwittingly put their
employees,
> it would seem that this is an area of practice that NGOs who are
> attempting to institute a 'right-based' approach might want to
review.
>
>
> ________________________________________
> Barbara E. Harrell-Bond
> Distinguished Adjunct Professor
> Forced Migration and Refugee Studies
> American University in Cairo
> Dept. 417, PO Box 2511, Cairo 11511 Egypt
> Telephone: +20 2 7942219
> Email: [log in to unmask]
>
> --- End Forwarded Message ---
>
>
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