SEMINAR ON "INTERPRETATION OF THE REFUGEE DEFINITION"

The Staff Development Organisation in the Prime Minister's Office in collaboration with the Ministry for Home Affairs is organising a full day training programme, on the 26^th May, 2001, titled Interpretation of the Refugee Definition.

The seminar is intended to prepare the Appeals Board, the Refugee Commissioner's Office Staff and local lawyers for their respective responsibilities when the refugee law comes into effect.

The seminar will focus on the content of the local legislation in the context of the international refugee definition according to the 1951 Geneva Convention, the meaning of persecution as well as issues like gender-related means of persecution, agents of persecution and persecution vs prosecution.

Participants will also be reflecting on concepts like fear of persecution, grounds of persecution, well-foundedness, imputed grounds and burden of proof.

Other issues that will be dealt with during the seminar include situations and conditions that lead to the exclusion of an applicant from being recognised as a refugee as well as cases where a person would no longer be considered as a refugee.

The last part of the seminar will be dedicated to discussing Malta's asylum procedures.

This programme is being facilitated by Ms Rossella Pagliuchi-Lor. Ms Pagliuchi-Lor is UNHCR Deputy representative for Italy, Malta, the Holy See and San Marino.

This training activity is one of a number of events being organised by the SDO in conjunction with the Ministry for Home Affairs in line with the Ministry's training strategy in support of the Refugee Act, 2000 and the National Plan for the Adoption of the Acquis.