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Type of practice
Summary
The “Migration School” project was initiated by the State Migration Service of the Republic of Azerbaijan (SMS) in November 2018. Taking into account the adoption of the GCM at the end of 2018, the “Migration School” projects and its training plan have been improved and adapted to the principles and objectives of the GCM. The 1st Migration School was organized during November 2018- May 2019; the 2nd Migration School - December 2019 – June 2020; the 3rd Migration School - January-August 2021; the 4th Migration School - January 2022 - ongoing.
“Migration School” aims to establish a capacity-building mechanism in migration sphere, involve youth in migration management, foster multi-partner cooperation, as well as improve knowledge and skills of young people on GCM and SDGs and to draw their interest in this area. Within the framework of the “Migration School” project, participants get familiarized with migration processes regulation, border management, migration policy-making, management of migration flows, migrant rights and obligations, international cooperation, gender-responsive and child-sensitive, as well as whole-of-government and whole-of-society approaches in migration management, etc.
One of the main goals of the program is to inform participants about the social, political and economic effects of migration on society, as well as to increase the theoretical and practical knowledge of stakeholders in this field through raising awareness on international trends and challenges and to support migration research activities. Furthermore, participants of the “Migration School” (each project runs for 6 moths) projects gain detailed information on the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). At the end of the program, participants successfully completing the training are awarded with certificates.
The program has been designed for those who are studying or have just completed higher education in law, political science, international relations, regional studies, oriental studies, public administration and sociology. The trainings are held by the SMS staff in relevant fields, representatives of the “Migration School” project partners, local and international trainers, as well as representatives of international and non-governmental organizations. During the 4th program, which started on January 2022 participants will be familiarized with the International Migration Review Forum (IMRF) and “Champion countries” initiative, as well.
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Detailed Information
Partner/Donor Organizations
Benefit and Impact
• Raise awareness of youth;
• Strengthen capacity building of those interested in migration;
• To provide access to objective, evidence-based, clear information about the benefits and challenges of migration to prevent misleading narratives that generate negative perceptions of migrants;
• Increasing theoretical and practical knowledge in the field of migration through information and supporting research on migration.
Within the framework of the “Migration School” project, participants get an excellent opportunity to gain professional knowledge in the field of migration, get information about current migration trends and do internship in the relevant structural units of the State Migration Service of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
GCM recognizes that young people are at the center of migration management, as their involvement in this process is one of the guarantees for effective coordination of migration issues, increasing transparency and inclusiveness, promoting cultural diversity, social cohesion, mutual understanding, and the use of innovative methods in migration management. Awareness of youth on migration will serve as an innovative source to better understanding of migration phenomenon and reduce the development of misconceptions in society about migration. As a result, migrants will also benefit from this activity in the long run.
Key Lessons
Since this is the first educational platform on migration for young people in Azerbaijan and in the region, it had to be effective in raising awareness and interest of young people in this area. Curriculum had to cover the most important topics, depending on the current migration situation in the world and region, and also cover not only theoretical knowledge, but also practical ones. Thus, for each phase of the School improved curriculum is prepared and adapted to the main migration problems and challenges of the agenda.
2. Selection of students of the School.
The selection of young people is carried out carefully and it is difficult to select the best from the large number of young people who apply to participate in the School. The main selection priorities are to be energetic, creative and enterprising, have a good and interested in the migration field. The interview process for each phase of the School is adapted to the current situation in migration sphere. In addition, it is a priority to select young people who think innovatively and have their own thoughts and innovative proposals regarding the migration process and issues on the agenda.
3. Involving students from “Migration School” after the program.
Several successfully implemented phases of the Migration School and a large number of applications show that the project has a success among young people, and it can be predicted that the School will continue and possibly expand its activities in the future.. In order to expand the scope of activities carried out within the framework of the School, a new project "Migration Volunteers" was launched. Thus, the most creative and enterprising students of the School can apply for migration volunteers after graduation. In addition, the State Migration Service (SMS) involves them in global platforms, processes and events related to migration, as well as in the activities of the Regional Training Center on Migration. So, all graduates and students of the School were invited to participate in the International Migration Review Forum (IMRF) 2022, their registration for participation was facilitated by SMS, and they will be involved in the GCM consultations organized by SMS.
"Migration School - 4" is organized jointly by the State Migration Service of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Representation of IOM in Azerbaijan within the framework of the Regional Training Center on Migration with the aim of further expanding the activities of the Center outside the country and organizing the following Schools at the regional level. Thus, by expanding the scope of the School in the future, young people from the region will be able to gain new knowledge and experience in the field of migration, and the project will enter a new regional phase.
Recommendations(if the practice is to be replicated)
Innovation
The organization of such an educational platform in the field of migration will also provide an innovative approach to the implementation of migration policy, the use of innovative methods in migration management and the promotion of new ideas and research activity in the migration field.
Four Schools have already been organized, and in the future, it is planned to continue this project within the framework of the Regional Training Center on Migration (RTCM) in order to expand the scope of the School, as well as to improve and adapt its activities to the regional dimension.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, lessons at the School were organized online or in a hybrid format.
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*References to Kosovo shall be understood to be in the context of United Nations Security Council resolution 1244 (1999).