Jamal AlFakhouri, Regional CO Coordinator MENA Region May 28, 2015 - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Jamal AlFakhouri, Regional CO Coordinator MENA Region

May 28, 2015

Jordan Egypt Iraq Syria Morocco Algeria Tunisia Libya Bahrain Israel Oman

Turkey Lebanon Yemen Kuwait UAE

Qatar Saudi Arabia

MENA Region Countries in red font are covered by ICMC for USRP

Objectives of Cultural Orientation:

• Provide refugees with accurate information about

the resettlement process and life in the resettling country

• Help refugees to develop realistic expectations
• Assist refugees to develop the knowledge, skills, and

attitudes necessary for successful adaptation in their new society

• Address refugees’ concerns and questions
• Empower refugee women and the elderly

• All refugees over the

age of 15 who have been approved for resettlement to the United States.

• Classes are offered in

Amman and Cairo, and

• n ad-hoc basis in the

region.

• Iraq and Syria were the

largest sites but both are no longer active.

• Case load is primarily

Iraqi, with few Syrians for now.

• CO is 4 days, or 20

hours in length

A CO classroom RSC MENA offers CO for children as well

OVER 35,000 IRAQI REFUGEES TRAINED SINCE 2007

Where are the Syrians

• Hundreds of thousands in Jordan, including

Zaatari camp which had a population of 120,000 at one point

• 3 main camps but majority are urban refugees
• Over 1.5 million in Lebanon, all urban refugees
• Hundreds of thousands in Turkey, all in

refugees camps along the border with Syria

Zaatari refugee camp, Jordan

Herzlich Willkommen!

German HAP

German HAP

• In 2013 announced the resettlement of 5,000

Syrians from the region; mostly from Lebanon and few from Turkey and Egypt

• In 2014 extended HAP to additional 1,500
• Program to end June 2015
• 3-day CO
• 2,407 received trained as of September 2014
• Local IOM trainers, materials developed by

IOM

International Organization for Migration

CULTURAL ORIENTATION FOR SWITZERLAND

Swiss PCO

• First meeting in 2014
• Swiss delegation asked for a 2-day CO program
• Close design to the DECO
• Initial numbers of 120 refugees, then

extended to 500

• Now talking of 3000 Syrians from the region,

mostly from Lebanon

• Local IOM trainers, materials developed by

IOM

French CO

• 150 refugees from Lebanon and Jordan
• Special program also HAP
• 1-day curriculum
• Local IOM trainers, materials sent by French

Govt.

UKCO

• 250 refugees from Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt,

and Turkey

• VPR scheme
• 1-day curriculum
• Close coordination with IOM UK and the

Home office

• Local IOM trainers, materials sent by the UK

Govt.

Other CO

• Italy just announced it will take 400 Syrians

from the region; Lebanon and Turkey

• IOM will provide CO
• Local IOM trainers

Other programs

• Portugal announced it will take 50 refugees
• IOM is asked to provide medical, CO and

movement

• Syrians from Egypt
• Local IOM trainers

Other CO programs

• NORCO; IOM Oslo sends trainers to the region
• Program is 5 days
• All Syrians from Lebanon and Jordan
• 500 in total?

Other CO programs-continued

• NLCO
• Government of Netherlands send their own

staff to do CO

• IOM facilitates, and provides admin and

logistics support

• All Syrians from Lebanon ,Jordan and Turkey
• 5-day program
• 500 in total?

Other CO programs-continued

• Finland: like NLCO, government sends their

trainers

• All Syrians from Jordan and Lebanon
• 300 in total?

Other CO Programs-continued

• Sweden CO
• Government send the trainers
• All Syrians from Jordan, and may be Lebanon
• IOM provides movement assistance only

Other CO programs continued

• Danish CO
• Government send their own trainers
• Mostly in Lebanon
• All Syrians

Other programs

• Spain announced it will take 50 Syrians
• IOM provides movement facilitation only
• NO CO, information handed out by UNHCR

Factors to consider when designing CO

• Local trainers, professionally trained
• Knowledge of the local refugee populations
• Culturally and linguistically competent
• Eliminate use f interpreters
• General understanding of the host

community’s cultural and societal values and customs

continued

• Send trainers from the host community
• Specific knowledge of the host community
• No specific knowledge of the local community
• Reliant on interpreters
• Costly?

Other factors

• Must provide childcare
• Must provide meal and refreshments
• Must avoid large numbers of refugees in the

classrooms, ideally no more than 25

• Need to offer accommodations when refugees

travel from cities to the location of CO

• Provide transportation reimbursement,

refugees don’t always have the means to come to CO

Questions