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United
Nations High Commissioner for Refugees /UNHCR/
UNHCR in the Russian Federation
UNHCR Office in Moscow was opened in October 1992 with the signing of an Agreement with the Ministry of the Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation. In 1993, the Russian Federation ratified the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol, and adopted national laws on refugees and forced migrants. The Federal Migration Service (FMS) was founded to deal with refugees, displaced persons and other migrant issues. This laid the groundwork for UNHCR to start assisting the Russian authorities in adopting and implementing these laws in accordance with international standards and to focus on protecting and assisting persons in need of international protection. In 1997, the Russian Federation refugee law was amended and a subsidiary protection regime of temporary asylum was established.
UNHCR’s main objective in the Russian Federation is to support the development of an asylum system that meets international standards. UNHCR’s operations in the Russian Federation are aimed at protecting and assisting various categories of persons who have been forced to leave their homes: refugees, stateless persons and internally displaced persons. This assistance is provided through various governmental and non-governmental organizations. By the end of 2003, UNHCR has a total of 40 implementing partners in the Russian Federation.
UNHCR has been part of the UN humanitarian programme in the North Caucasus for the benefit of persons displaced as a result of hostilities in Chechnya from 1995 until 1997, and since 1999 after the resumptions of hostilities in Chechnya.
Since 1992 UNHCR has spent over US $ 107 million (as of November 2003) for various protection and assistance programmes for persons of concern to the agency. The main donors for the agency’s activities in the Russian Federation are the European Commission, the governments of the U.S.A, Switzerland, Germany, Netherlands, Japan, Canada and the U.K. There were, furthermore, several private donations.
For further information, please refer to http://www.unhcr.ru
information provided by the UNHCR Office in Moscow
© 2006 UN Russia Moscow | E-mail: info@unrussia.ru |
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