UNHCR, the United Nations Refugee Agency, held a two-day judicial training in Astana, 30 – 31 May, with the aim of supporting judges to uniformly apply the provisions of the national Refugee Law and related by-laws in line with the 1951 Refugee Convention and international standards, when handling asylum-related cases.
This is the first such training for judges considering asylum-seekers’ cases since responsibility for receiving asylum applications and issuing Refugee Status Determination decisions was transferred to the Offices of Coordination of Employment under each city and regional administration in Kazakhstan in 2022.
Twenty judges from the Judicial Boards for Administrative cases of regional courts, courts in Astana, Almaty, and Shymkent, and specialized district and equivalent administrative courts, as well as representatives from UN and humanitarian partners gathered for the training. Sessions on existing judicial practice on asylum cases in Asia-Pacific, Europe and the Middle East were delivered by guest judges and experts from New Zealand, the Republic of Moldova, Slovenia, and Ukraine. Kazakhstan International Bureau for Human Rights and Rule of Law and UNHCR delivered sessions on international standards and current Kazakhstani practice.
Sessions explored international legal framework for the protection of refugees, international perspective on reviewing decisions of Refugee Status Determination Commissions, the role of information about the country of origin as evidence in refugee status determination, and other important topics.
“We are honored to facilitate this platform for strengthening the protection of refugees and asylum seekers within Kazakhstan’s legal system, sharing best practices, and fostering collaboration among judicial actors nationally, and internationally,” said Irina Bilyalova, Head of the UNHCR National Office in Kazakhstan. “Ensuring people in need of international protection have access to quality asylum procedures, and due rights and services as people forced to flee, enables them to contribute more meaningfully to the sustainable development of the communities generously hosting them.”
As of January 2024, Kazakhstan hosts 473 asylum-seekers and 262 refugees, who have been recognized as such by authorities under the national Law on Refugees. Most refugees in Kazakhstan are living in the country for more than 10 years, are culturally well integrated, and motivated to stay in the country. In 1998, Kazakhstan acceded to the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol, committing to share responsibility with other refugee-hosting countries, and to not return (refoule) refugees into danger, but provide them with access to their territory, quality asylum procedures and protection, and basic human and socio-economic rights.
UNHCR supports the Government of Kazakhstan to strengthen asylum procedures and improve national legislation to identify, document, and protect forcibly displaced and stateless people.
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