Measures to promote the work of the institution to asylum seekers and refugees and the degree to which this is seen as a priority 64.7% of respondents (n = 22) reported promoting the work of their organisation to asylum seekers and refugees, while 29.4% of respondents (n = 10) did not. The top five activities undertaken by respondents to promote their work to asylum seekers and refugees were: • 47.1% of respondents (n = 16) reported conducting site visits and outreach to particular areas. • 44.1% of respondents (n = 15) reported engaging with non-governmental organisations who work with asylum seekers and refugees. • 17.6% of respondents (n = 6) reported providing accessible information online. • 14.7% of respondents (n = 5) reported creating and distributing leaflets. • 14.7% of respondents (n = 5) reported undertaking publicity and media campaigns. In terms of the degree to which increasing the numbers of complaints from asylum seekers and refugees was seen as a priority: • 46.2% of respondents (n = 15) reported that this was a high or very high priority. • 40.6% of respondents (n = 13) reported that this was neither a high nor low priority. • 12.5% respondents (n = 4) reported that this was a low or very low priority. These findings may seem surprising given the high salience of asylum and refugee issues among respondents in the sample 32 and the perception that the numbers of complaints received did not reflect the scale of injustice faced by these groups. It is possible that the findings reflect mandate limitations (e.g. only having jurisdiction over some issues faced by asylum seekers and refugees) or perceptions that the ombudsperson can effectively address asylum seeker and refugee issues through other channels (such as through National Preventative Mechanism monitoring work or own initiative investigations). There are of course many other competing priorities calling on the attention of ombudspersons, which might explain why receiving more complaints from asylum seekers and refugees might not be prioritised.
Perceived effectiveness of outreach strategies for reaching asylum seekers and refugees Respondents reported the following when asked to assess the effectiveness of their outreach strategies: • 44.1% of respondents (n = 18) considered their outreach approach to be effective or very effective. • 38.2% of respondents (n = 13) considered that their approach to outreach was neither effective nor ineffective. • One respondent considered that their approach was ineffective. These findings show that over a third of respondents have a neutral view of the effectiveness of their outreach in this area. There appears to be scope for some ombudspersons internationally to further develop their practice in this area and for learning to be shared between ombudspersons. The Dutch National Ombudsman is currently developing an IOI Best Practice Guide on outreach, which is likely to be very valuable in this context. Working with Civil Society Organisations in relation to issues facing asylum seekers and refugees When asked whether they worked with Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in relation to issues facing asylum seekers and refugees, 82.7% of respondents (n = 27) said that they did. The top five most commonly reported strategies for cooperating with CSOs were: • 35.3% of respondents (n = 12) reported holding regular meetings with CSOs as well as having regular informal contact. • 20.6% of respondents (n = 7) reported sharing information with CSOs. • 17.6% of respondents (n = 6) reported being responsive to complaints and requests from CSOs. • 12.5% of respondents (n = 4) reported holding various types of events for engaging with CSOs. • 8.8% of respondents (n = 3) reported developing and making joint statements or campaigns; and transmitting issues raised by CSOs to parliament or public bodies through official reports and letters.
32 91.2% of respondents (n = 31) reported that asylum seeker and refugee issues constituted an important or very important social and political issue in their jurisdiction.
52 | Access to Public Services and Access to Justice for Refugees and Asylum Seekers in Northern Ireland
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