On 16-20 May 2022 France Education International hosted an evaluation session for the European Qualifications Passport for Refugees (EQPR) candidates in Sèvres, France. Out of the 51 candidates interviewed by the credential evaluators from European National Information Centres (ENICs) of Armenia, France, Germany and the Netherlands 44 received the EQPR. Among them there are 29 newly arrived Ukrainian refugees, residing in Italy and France.
“The EQPR would help to explain my educational background to the employer”, said one of the 29 Ukrainian refugees, who was interviewed during the EQPR evaluation session.
One of the youngest EQPR candidates, a newly educated dentist from Ukraine, Alina Slyvka (pictured), wishes to continue her studies and specialization in France and was pleased to get an opportunity to talk to the professional credential evaluators who were able to assess her educational background and provide her with the valuable information about opportunities for further studies in France, based on the assessment of her qualification and family situation.
As people with the right to temporary protection (Temporary Protection Directive, Council Directive 2001/55/EC), Ukrainian refugees should be able to engage in employed or self-employed activities and enjoy equal treatment with workers in the Member States. To facilitate the recognition of academic and professional qualifications and make it easier for employers and training institutions to understand the qualifications of Ukrainians arriving to the EU, the European Commission has published a Recommendation on recognition of qualifications obtained in Ukraine. This recommendation refers to the European Qualifications Passport for Refugees (EQPR) as one of the measures to support assessment of refugees’ qualifications even in cases when no other solutions are possible.
The EQPR helps refugees to rebuild their lives in their host countries by giving them the opportunity to have their qualifications assessed even in cases with insufficient or lacking documentation. In this way, the EQPR supports the implementation of the Article VII of the Council of Europe/UNESCO Lisbon Recognition Convention facilitating the recognition of refugees’ qualifications even in the absence of full documentation. The EQPR is also part of the Council of Europe Action Plan on Protecting Vulnerable Persons in the Context of Migration and Asylum in Europe (2021-2025).
A new video showcasing how the EQPR positively impacts on the lives of its holders has been issued on the UNHCR World Refugee Day.
As of 8 July, countries having joined the project include Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, Croatia, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Serbia and the United Kingdom.