Dr. Alice Szczepanikova is a Migration and Freedom of Movement Adviser at OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) in Warsaw. She is responsible for developing and implementing the migration programme of the Democratization Department currently focusing on supporting actors in migrant integration at the national and local level and on developing trainings for human rights defenders at international borders. Prior to joining ODIHR, Alice worked as a policy analyst in the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission in Brussels. She has a PhD in Sociology from the University of Warwick in the United Kingdom and an MPhil in Gender Studies from Central European University in Hungary. Alice recently developed an innovative learning and training tool about migration governance called Destination Europe as a part of the European Migration Network.
Comprehensive migration management is a complicated cross-cutting policy issue. While states have the right to control entry at their borders, they must also adhere to international human rights standards, including the right to seek international protection and non-refoulement. Many OSCE participating States are struggling to develop capacities and safeguards when responding to the challenges related to mixed migration flows. Non-state actors play an increasingly important and often precarious role in providing humanitarian assistance to migrants and refugees, supporting them in accessing relevant legal procedures and in monitoring and documenting human rights violations at borders and beyond. The presentation will address new challenges, responsibilities, and opportunities faced by the non-state actors and their dynamic role in migration management.