Access to services – Assess refugee access to Helplines in Slovakia

Details

Mission and objectives

UNHCR is mandated by the United Nations to lead and coordinate international action for the worldwide protection of refugees and the resolution of refugee problems. UNHCR’s primary purpose is to safeguard the rights and well-being of refugees. In its efforts to achieve this objective, UNHCR strives to ensure that everyone can exercise the right to seek asylum and find safe refuge in another State, and to return home voluntarily. By assisting refugees to return to their own country or to settle permanently in an other country, UNHCR also seeks lasting solutions to their plight

Context

Since the escalation of the war in Ukraine, Slovakia has seen a rapid influx of persons fleeing hostilities and seeking protection. More than one million Ukrainian and third-country nationals (TCNs) in need of international protection have crossed the borders into Slovakia, 78 per cent of whom are women and children. Temporary protection (TP) status has been accessible to refugees arriving from Ukraine and their families since 1 March 2022 and as of end December 2022 a total of 104,764 individuals have applied for temporary protection in Slovakia, with the Government estimating that an additional 10,000 Ukrainians are benefiting from tolerated stay, within the legal framework, and hence are not registered for protection in Slovakia. UNHCR’s operations in Slovakia are part of the Multi-Country Office in Budapest, with a National Office in Bratislava and a Field Office in Kosice that were established in April 2022 to respond to the emerging needs.

Task description

- Mapping of Helplines in Slovakia that are essential for refugees to access as required (health care, child protection, violence intervention etc) - Testing helplines in respect of their accessibility in English, Ukrainian and Russian - Assess accessibility for people with disabilities and diversity, including technological illiteracy - Assess effectiveness against criteria