A/HRC/14/30/Add.3 C. Sharing the responsibility of protecting persons in need of international protection 38. The Special Rapporteur commends cooperation established between UNHCR and the Government through the Quality Initiative Project, whereby UNHCR provides expertise to the Home Office on improving the quality of first-instance decision-making in asylumseeking applications. He also welcomes the partnership between UNHCR and UKBA in the Gateway Protection Programme for resettling the most vulnerable refugees to the United Kingdom, which currently offers a legal route for up to 750 refugees per financial year who are deemed eligible to be resettled from first countries of asylum to the United Kingdom. Furthermore, the beneficiaries are granted permission upon arrival to settle permanently instead of being granted a temporary authorization to stay for five years, as is the practice in the standard procedure for claiming asylum in the United Kingdom. The Special Rapporteur also welcomes the UKBA instruction on mandate refugees36 for the handling of applications from abroad for leave to enter for settlement purposes by persons recognized as refugees and given asylum by a host country, without this affecting their refugee status. D. Protecting and empowering children in the context of migration 39. The Special Rapporteur commends the inclusion of migrant children and children from a migrant background in early childhood services aimed at developing children’s capacities in general, while also addressing specific issues such as language command. He also welcomes efforts to build intercultural and teaching skills to facilitate inclusion of migrant families and their children, regardless of their immigration status, and praises the Government’s efforts to accommodate linguistic and religious diversity and cultural perspectives in education plans and programmes. 40. The Special Rapporteur welcomes the child-specific refugee status determination process aimed at considering the child’s needs and requirements handled by officials trained in child protection as part of an accelerated procedure of a maximum length of six months, including any appeal. The Special Rapporteur welcomes the adoption of statutory guidance to UKBA on making arrangements to safeguard and promote the welfare of children, issued under section 55 of the Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Act 2009. E. Workers organizations’ cooperation initiatives in countries of destination and origin 41. The Special Rapporteur commends the agreement signed in 2001 between the national Trades Union Congress and the General Confederation of Portuguese Workers aimed at promoting membership in Trade Union Congress unions of Portuguese migrant workers who are Confederation members. He especially welcomes the information campaigns undertaken in the migrant workers’ own language on their rights. 36 GE.10-12095 Child”, June 2008. A mandate refugee is a person in a third country, who has been recognized as a refugee by, and given the protection of, UNHCR. Such a person may also be recognized as a refugee and given asylum by a host country without this affecting their mandate refugee status. See UKBA, “Mandate Refugees”, 2009. Available from http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/policyandlaw/ asylumpolicyinstructions/apis/manadaterefugees.pdf?view=Binary. 11

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