The Importance of Emergency Evacuation Visas
Our very own Aleksandar Stojicevic has written a piece for the International Bar Association! The article is called ”New Pathways to International Protection: Emergency Evacuation Visas,” and it details the issue refugees face during resettlement and how Emergency Evacuation Visas will help alleviate some of these issues.
Emergency Evacuation Visas are documents issued by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) from participating countries ‘for the purposes of emergency transfer of persons in urgent need of international protection and their entry into the EEV issuing country to lodge an asylum application upon arrival’.
Why Are Emergency Evacuation Visas Used?
Many people who need to be resettled in a different country are escaping areas where danger is imminent. From the article: “This is a particularly pressing issue; 85 percent of refugees worldwide (of which there are nearly 26 million) are hosted in the Global South, where questions of security, infrastructure and dignity are often more pronounced”.
Many times, attaining a resettlement to a different country can take a long time, and one has to go through several channels and a long process to gain refugee status. Men, women, and children who are in serious situations do not have time to wait for the process to be completed, as in some circumstances, danger is imminent. In these cases, an Emergency Evacuation Visa helps expedite the process, which in turn ensures people leave their places of residence safely.
Since many different channels need to work together to guarantee the safety of people fleeing dangerous situations in their country, EEVs will help streamline the process and make resettlement quicker and easier for people in need. A visa specifically with the purpose of immediate resettlement, avoids the need to go through the regular wait times and channels that a “normal” transition may entail. The use of EEVs will ensure a safe and comfortable resettlement to anyone who needs to get out of a dangerous situation immediately. To read the complete article Alex wrote about EEVs, click here.
Aleksandar Stojicevic (Alex) is one of the most well known and respected practicing immigration lawyers in Canada. He is the founding and managing partner at MKS Lawyers. Alex, who has 24 years of experience in the field, holds a law degree from the University of British Columbia and a bachelor of arts degree with honours in political science from the University of Calgary. Alex was also Adjunct Professor at UBC Law School in 2011, using his expertise to teach immigration law and he has also guest lectured at UBC since.
Alex has made it his goal to educate the public on the issues related to immigration and citizenship.
You can book a consultation with Aleksandar Stojicevic (Alex) or another lawyer at MKS Immigration Law by completing their simple consultation form, and waiting no more than two business days for MKS to get in touch. Book a consultation today.