More than 100,000 refugees are still residing in Thailand in the nine camps along the Myanmar border, which is declining compared to one year ago. While reforms have been initiated following the transfer to a more civilian government in 2010, and with the National League for Democracy (NLD) winning the elections in November 2015, the rule of law and access to justice in Myanmar are still generally perceived as weak in comparison to international standards, corrupt and lacking in capacity to meet the legal needs of the target beneficiaries, particularly in regard to access to civil documentation.

1. Persons affected by displacement, particularly women and persons belonging to vulnerable groups, are able to claim and exercise civil documentation and Housing, Land and Property (HLP) rights and achieve durable solutions.
2. To advance towards an improved protection environment and status for displaced persons, returnees and host communities, particularly women and persons belonging to vulnerable groups, in conflict affected communities in Kayah and Mon States.

1. IDPs and returnees in conflict-affected States with a ceasefire/peace process underway;
2. Refugees returning from Thailand;
3. Vulnerable beneficiaries who are prevented freedom of movement due to their ethnicity;
4. Vulnerable beneficiaries that have very limited access to government social services;
5. Vulnerable groups such as female single headed households, persons with chronic diseases, persons with disabilities and large families.

1. Beneficiaries possess civil documentation and legal identity;
2. Basic rights of conflict-affected beneficiaries are upheld and their access to basic services enhanced through the accelerated issuance of national identity cards;
3. Beneficiaries value and understand legal civil documentation (LCD) rights and responsibilities;
4. Beneficiaries not belonging to one of the 135 recognized ethnic groups or otherwise undocumented receive support in the form of information and counselling services with regard to the procedure of applying the legal civil documentation and exercise their rights, mitigating the risk of statelessness.

Erwartete Resultate:  

1. 26,000 additional beneficiaries obtain the CSC free of charge (10,000 Kayah, 16,000 Mon).
2. 350 one stop, same day, free of charge mobile services are conducted (200 Kayah, 150 Mon).
3. Material equipment currently supported by NRC is allocated to the MoIP by the end of this grant.
4. Beneficiaries receive counselling services on LCD rights (200 in Kayah, 100 in Mon).
   
5. Up to 11,000 beneficiaries not belonging to the 135 recognised ethnic groups or otherwise undocumented receive information and counselling on the process for obtaining an ID card (1,000 in Kayah, 10,000 in Mon).
6. Rejected applicants, particularly women and persons belonging to vulnerable minorities, are followed up by NRC liaising with the beneficiary, advocating towards the MoIP and cooperating with UNHCR to try and assist the beneficiary in obtaining an ID card or supporting required documentation (500 in Kayah, 800 in Mon).

Resultate von früheren Phasen:  

The project is an extension of an ongoing cooperation between NRC and MoIP in Kayah and Mon States, started in 2014 and 2013 respectively.

The results and key findings from the survey NRC conducted regarding the understanding of beneficiaries on the importance of CSCs are:

• More than 80% recognized that a CSC grants access to rights / freedoms;
• 97% of respondents know that a CSC will grant freedom of movement (within the country);
• 45% report having used their CSC to buy, sell or register land;
• Almost two thirds had used or intended to use their CSC to enrol for an examination to access higher education.

Kayah: NRC teams have been operating together with MoIP in all townships in Kayah State. Since the beginning of the project, 43,163 beneficiaries (21,391 male and 21,772 female) have received their CSC Cards through the assistance of NRC.  

Mon: Until the end of September 2015, 66,503 beneficiaries (28,532 male and 37,971 female) have received their CSC Card.

MoIP has invited NRC to continue the project to reach addditional 16,000 beneficiaries in conflict affected areas in Mon State.

UNHCR and Ministry of Immigration and Population (MoIP)

NRC coordinates with various national and international NGOs and with UNHCR present in the areas covered by this project. More concretely, the NRC is actively participating in the UNHCR Protection Network. On 26 January 2016, NRC signed a MoU with UNHCR, which includes areas of cooperation related to access to civil documents and prevention of statelessness (Arts. 8(f-e), MoU). UNHCR and NRC will thus closely cooperate in following up rejected cases in this project. NRC also regularly meets with community leaders to learn about their civil documentation needs.

Phase 4 23.05.2016 - 22.05.2018   (Completed)