The workshop titled "Limitations and opportunities: Challenges of refugees and asylum seekers in Armenia," held by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the Office off the Human Rights Defender of Armenia was held, informs the Defender’s office.

The Human Rights Defender, Anahit Manasyan, and Officer-in-Charge of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in Armenia, Monica Sandri, gave an opening speech.

Anahit Manasyan mentioned that although the problems associated with refugees in the human rights protection system are among the most important, however, they are often not given due attention.

"All issues related to the protection of the rights of refugees are under my immediate attention. The people forcibly displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh for a separate group, the protection and promotion of whose rights is also of paramount importance to me. It is very important that the State ensures the rights of refugees in an adequate manner, especially in the context of protecting the health of refugees, ensuring the right to education, employment opportunities and security" stated  Anahit Manasyan.

The event was attended by MPs of the National Assembly, deputy ministers of health, and labor and social affairs, chiefs and representatives of diplomatic missions accredited in Armenia, representatives of the Human Rights Defender’s Office, representatives from the MIA Migration and Citizenship Service, and Unified Social Service, "Mission Armenia" NGO who work with refugees, representatives from civil society, and refugees and forcibly displaced persons.

During the workshop, a panel discussion was held titled "Current Human Rights Situation of Refugees in Armenia".

The participants touched upon the main problems related to the protection of the rights of refugees and best practices in overcoming them, to the achievements and existing challenges in the field of human rights of the refugees, to the current state of protection of their rights in our country, and the gaps in legislation.

It should be highlighted that refugees and forcibly displaced persons, who were invited to the workshop, spoke about their problems. We consider it necessary to emphasize that issues related to the protection of the rights of refugees and asylum seekers were addressed in the annual report of the Human Rights Defender of Armenia. Analysis of the legislation related to the provision and protection of the rights of the latter indicate that the problems, being of a systemic nature, continue to remain relevant and are under the attention of the Defender.

Furthermore, the workshop participants presented the currently operating mechanisms for housing provision and social protection, access to the labor market, as well as the importance of promoting refugee inclusion and exchanging integration experiences.

At the conclusion of the meeting,  Anahit Manasyan expressed gratitude to those organizations, state authorities and individuals, international organizations and foreign partners who are committed to resolving the issues in the field of protecting the rights of refugees and vulnerable groups.

The Human Rights Defender emphasized that the human rights protection system can only be improved as a result of joint work, specifically emphasizing that the proper integration of displaced persons or refugees is possible only in a collaborative environment.