BackA delegation of the Macedonian NPM and the Macedonian Ombudsman visited the Austrian Ombudsman Board (AOB) as part of a “Twinning-Light”-Project. The Macedonian Delegation had the chance to learn about the work of the Austrian NPM, when dealing with Asylum-seekers and migrants. The Twinning-Light-Project is co-organised by the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Human Rights and co-funded by the EU.
The visitors were offered a varied program exploring the sensitive problems that may arise during asylum procedures, both on a theoretical and practical level. Lectures from experts of the AOB and heads of the visiting commissions of the Austrian NPM delved into the challenges of their daily work.
On the following days, the guest delegation accompanied visits of the NPM commissions to observe and enhance their understanding of the practical operations in Austrian. In a joint final meeting at the end of the visit, the delegations analysed the experiences and discussed the next steps to be taken in the "Twinning Project".
The Macedonian guests were very pleased about the experiences made as well as the ability to gain further knowledge for their own work as NPM in Macedonia. Both sides acknowledged that the study visit was a great asset to their work and reaffirmed the importance of joint cooperation for the future.
Source: Austrian Ombudsman Board, Austria
