Continuing our work in Europe

We are delighted to have been invited to join the Prague Process Targeted Initiative of the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD).  I attended a kick-off meeting in Vienna this week for the “Pilot Project 7: Quality in Decision-making in the Asylum Process” – a training and ‘train the trainer’ project which will continue ICMPD’s work implementing the EU pan-European approach to migration and asylum, particularly in eastern and south-eastern regions of Europe.  We are looking forward to working with decision makers from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Turkey and other Prague Process member states. 

Experienced judges from Austria, Germany and the UK and myself have joined the project as experts, bringing not only training expertise but also deep knowledge of the intricacies of hearing claims for protection and making decisions based often on very little corroborated evidence – or sometimes even none.

It seems to me that this project is well placed to carry forward the work of the Credo project, drawing on and further disseminating the multidisciplinary and evidence-based training manual: Credibility Assessment in Asylum Procedures. I’m looking forward to our first seminar, and another opportunity to take psychological research findings to decision makers.  Watch this space!