Eastern Europe

2015 year-end information on the Eastern Europe subregion is presented below. A summary of this can also be downloaded in PDF format. This subregion covers the following countries:

Subregion: Eastern Europe

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Latest update of camps and office locations 13 Jan 2016. By clicking on the icons on the map, additional information is displayed.

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Budgets and Expenditure in Subregion Eastern Europe

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2015 {"categories":[2012,2013,2014,2015],"budget":[115.65619943,270.95338247,373.29339842,420.086669828],"expenditure":[66.62675063,93.80871945,129.57658867,127.2709373]} {"categories":[2012,2013,2014,2015],"p1":[99.81453782,254.58595382,348.65309119,370.486506469],"p2":[2.4645976,3.29116795,3.22419003,2.750744475],"p3":[null,null,null,null],"p4":[13.37706401,13.0762607,21.4161172,46.849418884]} {"categories":[2012,2013,2014,2015],"p1":[58.55360196,87.06124285,114.93678843,98.15642826],"p2":[1.56906292,1.55514895,1.28411391,1.14276108],"p3":[null,null,null,null],"p4":[6.50408575,5.19232765,13.35568633,27.97174796]}

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People of Concern - 2015

[["Refugees",2867283],["Refugee-like situation",16679],["Asylum-seekers",222406],["IDPs",1686636],["IDP-like situation",800000],["Returned refugees",5],["Stateless",152993]]

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Plan Overview
Year-End Report

Response in 2015

All countries in the Eastern Europe subregion are party to the 1951 Convention and the 1967 Protocol, and have in place relevant legislation. Nevertheless, asylum systems remain fragile and are often undermined to political changes and sensitivities.

UNHCR continued a multi-channel dialogue with governments to address issues such as access to territory and to refugee status determination (RSD) procedures, other aspects of asylum procedures, instances of refoulement and abduction, as well as fairly low refugee recognition rates. The Office also continued to provide expertise on statelessness and advocated for accession to relevant international instruments, particularly by Russia and Belarus.

UNHCR launched the second phase of the Asylum Systems Quality Initiative in Eastern Europe and the Southern Caucasus (QIEE), aimed to improve the quality of decision-making in the context of RSD in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine. A Regional Protection Support Unit for Eastern Europe was set up in Tbilisi, Georgia, to better support the operations in the subregion.

The subregion continued to be marked by displacement generated by the conflict in Ukraine.

At the end of 2015, the total number of persons of concern stood at 3.1 million, including close to 326,000 refugees (including 311,407 Ukrainian refugees in Russia); some 16,000 Syrians in a refugee-like situation in Armenia; over 2.5 million IDPs (more than 618,000 in Azerbaijan, more than 268,000 in Georgia, and 1.7 million IDPs registered with the Government in Ukraine); and close to 164,000 stateless persons (over 113,000 in Russia, 35,228 in Ukraine, 5,635 in Belarus, and 5,014 Moldova). The UN adopted an estimate of 800,000 IDPs for planning purposes. In addition, some 680,000 Ukrainians sought other forms of legal stay in the neighbouring countries (around 550,000 in Russia and close to 126,000 in Belarus).

Operations

Operations in the Russian Federation, Turkey and Ukraine are presented in separate country pages.

Armenia was significantly impacted by Syrian arrivals in recent years (around 16,000 remained in the country). The most vulnerable Syrians benefited from assistance provided by UNHCR in cooperation with the Government and NGOs, such as for accommodation. UNHCR continued its advocacy efforts with the Government to further improve the national asylum system, including legislation, procedures, and development of a national integration strategy for refugees. In 2015, Armenia amended its nationality legislation to introduce safeguards for the prevention of statelessness at birth.

In Azerbaijan, UNHCR continued to advocate for a rights-based approach to the needs of IDPs. The life skills training improved income-generation opportunities for up to 230 PoC. In addition, vulnerable individuals received subsistence support from UNHCR.

In Belarus, a profiling exercise of Ukrainian arrivals was undertaken to ensure effective and targeted assistance to the most vulnerable. UNHCR supported local integration activities, including facilitating access to the labour market. The newly-amended Law on Citizenship entitles children born to stateless persons temporary (previously only permanently) residing in Belarus to nationality.

In Georgia, UNHCR advocated for improved access to livelihoods and government-run housing solutions for some 90,000 IDPs in need. UNHCR strengthened PoC awareness on their rights, improved access to state services, and contributed to the expansion of ongoing socio-economic integration activities using new approaches tailored to context and needs, using a combination of market-based livelihood and cash-based interventions and social cohesion projects for 500 targeted vulnerable individuals. The Office strengthened advocacy for a needs-based approach to IDPs, and advised the Government on standards and best practices.

In the Republic of Moldova, UNHCR conducted capacity-building events for government staff carrying out refugee status determination to enhance the quality of decision-making, apply best practices, and exchange of experience between the countries in the region. UNHCR supported the Government’s campaign to issue Moldovan identity documents to those who only possessed expired Soviet passports. This contributed significantly to prevention of statelessness, with over 212,000 people receiving identity documents.

Summary (ENG)

Operational Environment and Strategy

Major challenges in Eastern Europe for UNHCR are often linked to the priority given by governments to political and social considerations, which can leave national asylum systems either dysfunctional or lagging far behind international standards. Recognition rates generally remain fairly low, and some countries are resorting to complementary forms of protection instead of recognition based on the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees. Resettlement continues to be the only durable solution for many people of concern.

The impact of the conflict in the Syrian Arab Republic (Syria) has also been felt in the subregion, particularly in Turkey. The continued mass influx of refugees has placed considerable pressure on the country’s protection and response capacity. In addition to Syrian refugees, there are an increasing number of arrivals from Afghanistan and Iraq: more than 81,000 refugees had arrived in Turkey by September 2014, with the overall number expected to reach 100,000 by the end of 2014.

The second year of implementation for the Asylum Systems Quality Initiative in Eastern Europe and the Southern Caucasus (QIEE) has positively affected the national asylum systems at both institutional and individual level.

Positive developments in Eastern Europe included accession by Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova to the UN’s Statelessness Conventions, while the latter is also working towards statelessness determination procedures. Georgia has acceded to the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness and started a status determination procedure. The Russian Federation’s adoption of an amendment to its citizenship law aims to address statelessness. It estimated that Eastern Europe hosts around 250,000 stateless people.

In addition to newly emerging situations, UNHCR’s work in Eastern Europe will focus on:

Strengthening national asylum systems, including by improving legislative frameworks and procedures and increasing the capacity of local authorities, while continuing direct interventions where needed.
Continuing the search for durable solutions, with a focus on return and local integration.
Advocating the prevention and reduction of statelessness, accession to the UN’s Statelessness Conventions, and supporting relevant national legislation and procedures.
Further developing partnerships with Governments and other stakeholders on refugee protection and mixed migration.
Engaging with UNDP and other development and humanitarian partners to improve the livelihoods of people of concern.

Response and Implementation

The operation in Turkey is presented in a separate country chapter. For other countries in which UNHCR operates in the subregion, please see below.

In Armenia, UNHCR will assist the authorities in building their asylum institutions. It will help to strengthen the national legal framework governing the protection of refugees and stateless people so that it is in line with international standards. Focused assistance will be provided to the most vulnerable individuals, and local partners and institutions will be mobilized to support refugees’ local integration.

The Office will cooperate with the authorities in Azerbaijan to strengthen the national asylum system. It will seek an amendment to the current refugee legislation that establishes a subsidiary protection mechanism. Vulnerable refugees in urban areas will receive assistance. At the same time, UNHCR will advocate the protection of IDPs and provide them with free legal aid and self-reliance assistance.

The intent of Belarus, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine to comply with European standards provides UNHCR with opportunities for constructive engagement. Focus areas will include: enhancing compliance with international standards, particularly on protection-sensitive approaches to asylum based on the QIEE; continuing protection monitoring to ensure access to territory and asylum procedures; using resettlement as a protection tool; mapping statelessness and developing a statelessness determination procedure (Ukraine), and supporting the implementation of a new statelessness determination procedure (the Republic of Moldova); as well as encouraging Governments to assist extremely vulnerable people. UNHCR’s engagement with the judiciary will remain vital. The IDP situation in Ukraine required adjustments to its operation, with a focus on providing technical advice to the Government on a variety of protection issues and relevant legislation, enhancing protection monitoring and provision of humanitarian assistance to the most vulnerable IDPs. This situation is likely to continue into 2015.

In Georgia, the strategy will also focus on the effective implementation of national and international legislation, and efforts to protect and improve the living conditions of displaced people. It will include: monitoring the protection situation while providing limited direct assistance; pursuing durable solutions for refugees through naturalization and local integration, seeking local integration for IDPs pending their return; advocating the harmonization of national legislation and more assistance to IDPs, with attention on livelihoods for people of concern in Abkhazia, the reduction of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), and the provision of legal aid to all IDPs; and monitoring the progress and implementation of transitional livelihood programmes.

In the Russian Federation, UNHCR will focus on quality assurance measures to strengthen the national asylum system, including improving access to the system at borders, and will seek to enhance partnership with the authorities. The Office will pursue durable solutions by helping improve legal and social avenues for integration, while providing others, including those with particular vulnerabilities, with resettlement options.

Summary (ENG) or Résumé (FR)

Budget and Expenditure
Voluntary Contributions

2015 Budget and Expenditure in Eastern Europe | USD

Operation		Pillar 1 Refugee programme	Pillar 2 Stateless programme	Pillar 4 IDP projects	Total
Armenia	Budget Expenditure	6,327,127 2,968,294	102,341 33,495	0 0	6,429,468 3,001,789
Azerbaijan	Budget Expenditure	4,324,490 2,194,694	328,525 44,892	1,196,986 455,888	5,850,001 2,695,475
Georgia	Budget Expenditure	5,753,157 3,351,029	556,293 326,984	8,330,304 3,564,740	14,639,755 7,242,752
Russian Federation	Budget Expenditure	5,432,067 3,206,150	683,585 610,448	0 0	6,115,652 3,816,598
Turkey	Budget Expenditure	336,315,753 82,060,073	70,000 19,614	0 0	336,385,753 82,079,687
Ukraine Regional Office	Budget Expenditure	12,333,912 4,376,188	1,010,001 107,328	37,322,129 23,951,120	50,666,042 28,434,636
Total	Budget Expenditure	370,486,506 98,156,428	2,750,744 1,142,761	46,849,419 27,971,748	420,086,670 127,270,937