OIWAS: Enhancing Asylum Seekers' Integration & Welfare

1. Organisation for the Integration and Welfare of Asylum Seekers World Refugee Day 2007

2. Where have we come from? • The impact of “2002” • UMAS at Conservatorio Vincenzo Bugeja – Dar is-Sliem • Beginning of open accommodation centre network starting from Hal Far … from 20 places to 1800 places • Refugee Services Area at Agenzija Appogg • Age Assessment Team • Accessing of EU funds • NGO Forum • Managing the issue from within the Minister’s Secretariat • OIWAS

3. Where are we? • OIWAS started functioning in February 2007 • Intensive process of recruiting staff • Building an institutional identity, procedures, networking • Coordinating the open centre network, standardizing procedures, service agreements, identification of new centres • Data collection and trends • Customer care • Professional teams to cater for vulnerable groups of immigrants • Project in closed centres • Intensive networking with UNHCR, IOM, and NGOs • Contribution to the policy-making functions of MFSS • Membership of ENARO, and other international contacts such as close cooperation with COA

4. Where are we going? • Training of staff to ensure high quality professional delivery of services • Strong administrative base for complex operations • Strengthening of identity and presence: primarily assisting Government to elaborate policy • Focus of best practice in the field of integration • Customer care (integration): being in a position to direct all queries to an answer • Regular and in-depth evaluation of operations • Fullest possible use of EU funds + making OIWAS sustainable • Addressing long-term residence in Malta: integration and welfare implications