IOM activities
Active projects
22-23 Oct a seminar for journalists was organized in Svetlogorsk, Kaliningrad on the issue of trafficking in persons (TIP). The aim of the seminar was to enhance the knowledge of TIP issues and build skills in preparing material on TIP and migration problems. Practical activities were organized during the seminar, and the effect of the global financial crisis on migration was also discussed. Preliminary results of a study on the media’s presentation of the topic of TIP in Kaliningrad was revealed.
22 Oct staff from IOM Vilnius attended a seminar on assisted voluntary return organized by their colleagues in IOM Riga. A study on AVR practices in Europe was presented and the experience of IOM in providing return and reintegration assistance was discussed.
15 Oct Audra Sipaviciene gave a presentation on the topic, “Human mobility and global development: challenges to politicians and recommendations for action” at the UNDP event which presented the Human Development Report for the Year 2009.
9-10 Oct IOM Vilnius organized a two-day practical seminar on “Strengthening of multicultural competence and diversity managing skills”. The seminar was directed at policy makers, officials and other specialists who provide services to third country nationals. The seminar was organized within the framework of the IOM Vilnius project “Towards Understanding”.
28 September-9 October IOM project manager Jurga Kievisaite attended the Turin International Summer School. A two week long course which covered European migration policies, social rights of migrants, latest trends on human trafficking, the role of international organizations in aiding governments and migrants, and other topics. 45 participants of the school also had a chance to visit the largest UN campus in the world located in Turin. More information about the summer school can be obtained here:
30 Sep-1 Oct Audra Sipaviciene and Ramune Ciurlionyte from IOM Vilnius participated in the IOM EU Consultation on the ‘Enhanced and Integrated Approach regarding Return and Reintegration in Countries of Origin (Irrico II)’ organized by IOM Brussels. Over 50 participants from IOM and other governmental organizations took part in the event. The event offered a great opportunity to exchange experiences on organizing return and reintegration. An internet site containing information on the countries of origin was presented. This site also allows migrants to pose questions related to their return. The agenda can be obtained here.
22 Sep project managers Ieva Budvytyte and Rita Augutiene participated in a round-table discussion organized by UNDP and UNDOC on the topic “Study on the vulnerability of persons living with HIV/AIDS in Lithuania”.
22 – 26 September 5 social workers and NGO representatives from the Kaliningrad Oblast visited Lithuania to share their good experiences on conducting early prevention and reintegration of victims of trafficking. Guests visited the missing persons family support centre, Vilnius city pension for Mother and child, Caritas Lithuania in Kaunas and Siauliai, and they also met with police officers working in counter-trafficking, in Vilnius, Kaunas and Siauliai.
22 Sep IOM Vilnius representatives had a meeting with Mr. G. Baguzis, the Head of the Vilnius City Migration Board. The initiative to organize the meeting of related institutions was to discuss and debate the problems of fake marriages of Lithuanians and third country nationals.
17-18 Sep The head of IOM Vilnius made a presentation at the event organized by the Council of North Ministers. This event aimed to raise the awareness of police officers regarding the problem of human trafficking. The topic of the presentation was: "IOM Counter trafficking activities in Lithuania: prevention, assistance to victims, and work with vulnerable gruops".
11 Sep The 36th meeting of the European Migration Network took place in Brussels. The contribution of the work of EMN to the monitoring of the implementation of the European Pact on Immigration and Asylum was discussed.
8-11 Sep IOM Vilnius project coordinator Mantas Jersovas participated in the 14th Metropolis International Conference held in Copenhagen, Denmark. Metropolis Conference is one of the most important international conferences on the subject of migration. The theme for this year was migration and mobility. More information on the conference can be obtained from this site: www.metropolis2009.org.
24-25 Aug An IOM representative participated in a conference on trafficking in persons (TIP) organized by Klaipeda social and psychological assistance centre. The aim of the seminar was to present the situation of TIP in Lithuania to specialists from Ireland, Scotland and Spain. A member from IOM Vilnius gave three presentations on the following issues:
- Identification of a trafficking victim
- Assistance to victims of trafficking
- The problems of applying legal acts in the cases of TIP
This seminar was organized as a part of an international project.
15-17 June representatives of IOM Vilnius alongside with their partners from Mykolas Romeris University visited Finland where they were introduced to the integration system for third country nationals and learned about the intercultural teaching program for public servants. The study visit was organized as part of the project "Towards Understanding" funded by the European Fund for the Integration of Third Country Nationals.
8-12 June within the framework of the Prevention and Improved Assistance to Victims of Trafficking in the Kaliningrad Oblast (PIAVKO) IOM staff and project partners from Kaliningrad took part in a study visit in the Ukraine. The Ukrainian NGOs shared their experience in prevention and assistance to victims of trafficking. Several elements of the Ukrainian referral and assistance system were identified as innovative and could be adopted in Kaliningrad.
19 June IOM staff attended the World Refugee Day celebration at the Refugee Reception Centre in Rukla (Jonavos r.). Guests were shown around the premises of the Centre, and informed about the living conditions. Visitors were also invited to watch the refugee children’s performance, try out national dishes and see a short movie about refugees. The theme for 2009 is “Real people – real needs” chosen to emphasize that refugees are quite like us and have similar needs, problems and aspirations.
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| UNHCR coordinator in Lithuania Renata Kules sent greetings to the Centre's director A. Dieninis. | Children were entertained by a Swedish clown group "Clowns without borders". | Refugees invited guests to taste their home-made national dishes. |
22 May Head of IOM Vilnius Audra Sipaviciene made a presentation on “Economic crisis: effects on migration and migrants in the world and Lithuania” at a discussion organized by the Foreign Affairs Committee at the Parliament together with the Parliament’s European Information Centre. Ms Sipaviciene presented the effects that the economic crisis has had on migrant flows in the world and in Lithuania, the changes that have affected migrants' position in the labour market, newly born anti-immigrant movements, the importance of remittances and various policy responses to crisis that affect migrants. Speeches were also given by Kestutis Sadauskas, the Head of European Commission Office in Lithuania, and Dainius Paukste, Deputy Director at the Migration Department.
22 May Jurga Kievisaite from IOM Vilnius participated in a discussion “Refugee resettlement: an opportunity or a problem for Lithuania?” organized by the UNHCR representative in Lithuania. Representatives from NGOs working with refugees in Lithuania presented insights from the meeting of Baltic States stakeholders in Latvia, discussed the case of resettlement of a family from Malta to Lithuania. Different thoughts about how this procedure could be implemented in Lithuania were raised during the meeting.
12-15 May staff at IOM Vilnius office together with “Towards Understanding” project partners from Mykolas Romeris University participated in a study visit and conference “Interethnic Relations: Multidisciplinary Approaches” in Lisbon.
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5 May The IOM Vilnius team celebrated the birthday of Audra Sipaviciene, the head of office. The occassion was marked in Trakai, the ancient capital of Lithuania, with yacht sailing, discovering the specialties of the Karaim cuisine, and sightseeing around Trakai. Audra Sipaviciene has been the head of IOM Vilnius since the office was opened in Lithuania in 1998.
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The IOM Vilnius team celebrated the birthday of Audra Sipaviciene in Trakai. |
20-21 April Mantas Jersovas and Linas Danielius from IOM Vilnius met with media analyst Marina Matunina in Kaliningrad to discuss research that is currently in progress as part of the PIAVKO project. A visit to an NGO which provides telephone consultations and to an AIDS centre were also organized.
20-24 April Staff of IOM Vilnius travelled to a study visit to London within the frame of the "Accessible information - guarantee of successful integration" project. The objective of the visit was to get a better feel as to what the integration system in the UK is composed of, what services and help is available to third country nationals to better integrate themselves in a foreign country. IOM staff met with representatives of governmental and non-governmental organizations, and had an opportunity to discover the integration activities carried out in the UK.
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17 April IOM Vilnius together with UNHCR representative for Lithuania Renata Kules organized a launch event of the new educational toolkit on migration and asylum "Not Just Numbers" in Lithuania. The event was attended by 30 representatives from Teachers' Training Centres, schools from across Lithuania, public organizations and delegates from the Ministry of Science and Education.
The audience was introduced to the two organizations and the scope of their work in Lithuania and across the world, to the new toolkit and the ways it can be applied for use at schools or after-school activities.
The toolkit that comprises of a book, a DVD, and photos is an innovative teaching material aimed at encouraging dialogue and debate on migration and asylum related issues. It is a joint production of the IOM and UNHCR.
7 April the European Migration Network (EMN) was presented at the Ministry of the Interior. The National Information Centre in Lithuania has been established as part of the project. Over 20 representatives of various governmental, public, and international institutions participated in the launch meeting. The ground for exchanging the information and participating in the activities of the National Information Centre were set as well as the benefits singled out.
The aim of the EMN is to cater information needs of the EU member states in the field of migration. For more information please see www.emn.lt
27 March staff of IOM Vilnius participated in a training organized by the Ministry of the Interior on the European Return Fund 2008-2013. The multi-annual and annual (2008) programmes as well as the administrative scheme of the Fund were presented.
20 March IOM Vilnius received the delegates of the London Metropolitan Police, Richard Martin and Kevin Hyland. The human trafficking situation between Lithuania and UK was discussed and guidelines for further cooperation laid down.
19 March Head of IOM Vilnius Audra Sipaviciene attended the 39th annual Federation of American Women Clubs Overseas conference where she made a presentation on the Problems of Human Trafficking. The presentation provided an overview of the situation on human trafficking in Lithuania, the results of the de-personalized victim information base, the change in the situation after Lithuania’s accession to the EU, and needs for further action. The presentation can be downloaded here.
17 March project manager Ieva Budvytyte attended the meeting at the Chancellery of the Government on the organization of the Open European Home Day. The meeting was aimed at presenting the objectives, themes, and organizational issues of the event.
The Open European Home Day is an open day on which people are free to enter governmental offices and international organizations and get to know the way they work. It is scheduled for the 22 April 2009. For more information please contact stagvilnius2@europarl.europa.eu
13 March project manager Jurga Kievisaite and finance assistant Aurelija Liakaite participated in the seminar at the Social Security and Labour Ministry organized by the European Social Fund. The 2008 annual programme for the integration of third country nationals was presented.
12 March 2009 Head of IOM Vilnius Audra Sipaviciene met the Minister of the Interior Raimundas Palaitis. The aim of the meeting was to present the Minister with the work of IOM Vilnius and set the guidelines for further cooperation within the lines of migration. The increasing number of emigrants and the extent of unsafe migration during the time of economic hardship were emphasized. Also the fact that more people become victims of employment mediators was brought to light.
IOM Vilnius informed the Minister about the finished project “Migration Information Centre” which used to provide consultation for migrants in difficult situations. This centre was the only institution in Lithuania that provided all sorts of migration related information. A.Sipaviciene requested support from the Ministry of the Interior in carrying on with the very much demanded tasks.
The two parties also discussed the problems of irregular migration, the problems of return, and other issues.
IOM Vilnius and the Ministry of the Interior is engaged in close cooperation since the establishment of IOM Vilnius in 1998.
10 March Rita Augutiene participated in the UNHCR and NGO meeting to discuss the current situation of refugees and the assistance for refugees program.
3 March Head of Office Audra Sipaviciene and project manager Ieva Budvytyte attended a meeting at the Commission for the Economic Migration. The Public Policy and Management Institute presented its research on the effectiveness of the strategy for economic migration management. The objectives of communication with the Lithuanian emigrants and how the changing situation prompts the rethinking of the set objectives were also discussed. Ieva Budvytyte presented the information and job fair “Saddle up your horses, folks!” that was organized in Ireland by the IOM Vilnius. The fair was an example of the successful implementation of the Economic migration management strategy.
27 February staff of IOM Vilnius participated in the training for new recipients of funding from the European Fund for the Integration of Third Country Nationals.
26 February Ieva Budvytyte represented IOM Vilnius at the Department of Ethnic Minorities and Lithuanians Living Abroad. The meeting was held to discuss the financing of 84 projects in 2009.
26-27 February Head of IOM Vilnius Audra Sipaviciene and project manager Linas Danielius organized girls’ groups supervision in Kaliningrad for the PIAVKO project. The aim of the supervision was to test the effectiveness of the methodology created by the Peace Institute. The method is aimed at the personal empowerment of girls who are in human trafficking risk groups.
19 February Ieva Budvytyte, Jurga Kievisaite and Rita Augutiene participated in the methodological seminar organized by the Social Research Institute. The aim of the seminar was to discuss the activities of the projects that received financing under the European Fund for Integration of Third Country Nationals.
18 February Audra Sipaviciene participated in the Lithuanian Parliament’s Human Rights Committee session where suggestions for the European Parliament and Council regulation were discussed. The regulation set the procedure for processing international protection requests and minimum norms for the reception of asylum-seekers.
11 February Head of IOM Vilnius Audra Sipaviciene met with the Netherlands Ambassador J. E. Johanan Gerarda Maria RUIGROK. Ms Sipaviciene presented the final report of the Migration Information Centre and discussed the results and outcomes of the project.
29 January 2009. Head of IOM Vilnius Audra Sipaviciene attended a meeting with the apostolic nuncio in Lithuania. Audra presented the work of IOM Vilnius, projects that are currently underway and IOM work to prevent human trafficking.
27 January 2009. Head of IOM Vilnius Audra Sipaviciene and programme coordinator Mantas Jersovas attended a reception at the Embassy of the Russian Federation. IOM staff presented an informational project in Kaliningrad which aims at the prevention of human trafficking. The projects targets young people in Kaliningrad. As a result, a methodology on how teachers should introduce the subject of human trafficking to students was created.
26 January 2009. Head of IOM Vilnius Audra Sipaviciene and project manager Linas Danielius met with her excellency embassador to the Respublic of Finland in Lithuania Marja-Liisa Kiljunen. Audra and Linas introduced the project against human trafficking in Kaliningrad funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sweden. Further cooperation was discussed.
6 January 2009. Head of IOM Vilnius Audra Sipaviciene participated in the discussion organized by the Minister of Foreign Affiars of Lithuania Vygaudas Usackas on the problems of emigrees. Representatives of 7 different institutions working with Lithuanian diaspora shared their expertise, discussed main issues and problems. They also touched on the vision of the policy towards diaspora and more effective tools of aiding Lithuanian communities abroad. The minister informed migration experts about the new Office for the Diaspora Affairs to the Government that is to be established shortly.
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Phone: +370 5 212 76 53
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