OPEN CALLS FOR PROPOSAL

External Borders Fund 2007–2013

European Refugee Fund 2008-2013

European Return Fund 2008-2013

Applications are now open for interested parties who wish to submit projects to be co-financed under the External Borders Fund Annual Programme 2010, the European Refugee Fund Annual Programme 2010 and the European Return Fund Annual Programme 2010.

Click the below links to download the applications / guidelines.

For further information please contact the Programme Implementation Directorate, Ministry for Justice and Home Affairs on:

margaret.fenech@gov.mt
copying
john.h.vella.gov.mt / michelle.mizzi@gov.mt.

Telephone: 2295 7160 / 2295 7351 / 2295 7125

Deadline for submitting applications is at noon of Monday 14th September 2009.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THE THREE FUNDS:

External Borders Fund

The Fund has 4 objectives:

• efficient administrative organisation, focusing particularly on systems for exchanging information, collecting statistics and improving coordination between border crossing points, and checking, surveillance and registration mechanisms at external borders;
• efficient management of flows of persons at external borders, and in particular effective consultation of the European information systems (SIS and VIS) and enhanced collaboration in respect of forged or false travel documents;
• uniform implementation of European Union legislation, e.g. through promotion of the use of the Practical Handbook for Border Guards and of state-of-the-art technology for the surveillance of external borders;
• enhancing the activity of consular services, including reinforcement of the operational capacity of the network of immigration liaison officers and the development of common consular offices.

European Refugee Fund
The objective of the European Refugee Fund (ERF) is to support and improve the efforts of Member States to grant reception conditions to refugees, displaced persons and beneficiaries of subsidiary protection, to apply fair and effective asylum procedures and to promote good practices in the field of asylum so as to protect the rights of persons requiring international protection and enable Member States asylum systems to work efficiently.

European Return Fund
The general objective of the European Return Fund is to support the efforts of Member States to improve the management of return in all its dimensions through the use of the concept of integrated return management, with a preference to voluntary return and with a view to supporting a fair and effective implementation of common standards on return. To enhance the efficiency in return management at national level, the Fund shall also cover actions relating to voluntary return of persons who are not under an obligation to leave the territory, such as applicants for asylum who have not yet received a negative decisions or persons enjoying international protection.