EASO COI Meeting Report. 16-17 October 2017

English

On 16 and 17 October 2017, EASO organised a Practical Cooperation Conference on Pakistan in Rome, in the framework of EASO’s Operating Plan in Italy.

Following the need expressed by the Italian National Asylum Commission and other EU+ countries for accurate information on specific topics on Pakistan, and in view of a more harmonised approach to Country of Origin Information (COI) and decision practice in the EU+, EASO brought together around 100 participants, including COI specialists, caseworkers and decision-makers from many EU+ countries, Italian members of courts and tribunals, EU institutions, UNHCR and IOM.

EASO invited the following guest speakers:

  • Anna Giustiniani, Project manager, IOM Italy
  • Cyril Almeida, Assistant editor and journalist, Dawn newspaper, Pakistan
  • Luisa Inversini, President of the Territorial Commission for International Protection, Milan
  • Matthew Nelson, Reader in Politics, PhD, School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London
  • Muhammad Amir Rana, Director, Pakistan Institute for Peace Studies (PIPS)
  • Nathalie Boschman, COI Expert, Cedoca, Belgium
  • Shehryar Fazli, Senior Analyst and Regional Editor, International Crisis Group
  • UNHCR

EASO invited the guest speakers to share their expertise and field knowledge on Pakistan on selected topics and recent developments in the country.

This Conference Report includes reworked transcripts of the presentations.

Policy

The security and human rights situation in Pakistan is problematic. Many citizens of Pakistan are being exposed to ethno-political or sectarian violence and the Pakistani authorities are often unable or unwilling to offer protection. The majority of the violence in Pakistan can be attributed to the terror organisations that are active in the country. The terror organisations primarily target members of the security services and the army, members of religious minorities and the police force. In addition, Pakistan sometimes sees large-scale attacks aiming to cause a maximum number of casualties within a specific community. Religious minorities, primarily Shi’a Muslims, are generally targeted. However, such attacks are rather the exception than the rule. The security situation in the country is further influenced by the armed conflict between extremist elements and government troops in the north-west of the country as well as by the nationalist uprising in Baluchistan.

Land: 
Pakistan

Information about the asylum procedure, tailored to the asylum seeker, can be found at : asyluminbelgium.be.