National Mapping of Protection Frameworks and Service Gaps for Vulnerable Migrants, including Trafficking Survivors and Children, Tashkent, Uzbekistan

## National Mapping of Protection Frameworks and Service Gaps for Vulnerable Migrants, including Trafficking Survivors and Children, Tashkent, Uzbekistan - Organization:IOM - International Organization for Migration - Office:IOM in Tashkent, Uzbekistan Established in 1951, IOM is a Related Organization of the United Nations and the leading UN agency in the field of migration. Working closely with governmental, intergovernmental and non-governmental partners, IOM promotes humane and orderly migration for the benefit of all. It saves lives and protects people on the move, drives solutions to displacement, and facilitates pathways for regular migration, while providing services and advice to governments and migrants. IOM is committed to fostering a respectful, inclusive and supportive workplace where all employees can thrive professionally and feel valued. By creating such an environment, IOM aims to better harness the full potential of migration and strengthen its support to people on the move. IOM invites candidates from diverse backgrounds to apply and provides reasonable accommodation throughout the recruitment process when required. Learn more about IOM's workplace culture at IOM workplace culture | International Organization for Migration Project Context and Scope The consultancy will be implemented under the regional project “Enhancing Protection of Migrants from Violence, Exploitation and Abuse in Central Asia,” covering Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. The project aims to enhance the protection of migrants from violence, exploitation and abuse throughout Central Asia, including by strengthening access to protection services for vulnerable migrants and the capacity of governments and civil society to provide appropriate, gender- and child-sensitive protection and assistance. Migrants may experience different protection risks and vulnerabilities throughout the migration process, including violence, exploitation and abuse, trafficking in persons, family separation, lack of documentation or legal status, and barriers to accessing protection and assistance. These risks may affect Uzbek nationals, foreign nationals and stateless persons in the context of migration and may be compounded by age, disability, family situation and other factors of vulnerability. Uzbekistan has established national protection, social assistance and other relevant services that may respond to some of these needs. However, existing services are delivered through different sectoral and institutional frameworks and are not necessarily designed for migrants or adapted to the specific protection needs of different groups of vulnerable migrants. In particular, existing services may require further adaptation to respond appropriately to the needs of children, including migrant children and child victims of trafficking. The existence of a service also does not necessarily mean that eligible migrants are aware of it, can access it in practice, or that it is able to adequately respond to the relevant protection need. Against this background, IOM Uzbekistan will undertake a national mapping and analysis of existing protection services relevant to vulnerable migrants, including children, victims of trafficking and other vulnerable categories. The exercise will identify existing protection responses, practical access pathways, service and implementation gaps, barriers to access and relevant capacities that could be better utilized or adapted. The findings will inform practical and cost-effective improvements to existing protection mechanisms and services rather than the creation of parallel systems. The Uzbekistan mapping will also contribute to the project's regional assessment of migrant protection frameworks and services in Central Asia. While the regional assessment will provide a comparative analysis across participating countries, the national mapping will provide more detailed country-specific evidence on protection needs, services, access and implementation in Uzbekistan. Its findings will feed into the regional analysis, supporting a more nuanced understanding of common and country-specific protection gaps, capacities and priorities across Central Asia. Organizational Department / Unit to which the Consultant is contributing Migrants Assistance and Protection Unit, IOM Uzbekistan (PX0711) Tasks to be performed under this contract- under the direct supervision of the National Project Officer (Protection) and overall coordination of the Chief of Mission (CoM) The overall objectiveof this consultancy is to conduct a national mapping of existing protection services and mechanisms for vulnerable migrants in Uzbekistan; assess their relevance to identified protection needs, accessibility to different categories of migrants, and capacity to effectively address those needs; identify significant gaps and barriers; and develop practical recommendations to address them, with due consideration to the effective use of existing systems and value for money. To complete the assignment, the Consultant will carry outthe following tasks:Scope of Work 1. Identify potentially relevant protection needs of vulnerable migrants in Uzbekistan. Based on a review of the national legal and institutional framework, available data and research, IOM materials and other relevant sources, identify the range of protection needs that may arise among vulnerable migrants in the context of Uzbekistan, including children, victims of trafficking and other vulnerable groups. The analysis should cover Uzbek nationals, foreign nationals and stateless persons in the context of migration, including groups that may require specific protection measures or adapted forms of assistance. 2. Assess the relevance of identified protection needs in the context of Uzbekistan. Based on available information and consultations with key stakeholders, determine which potential protection needs are relevant or can reasonably be considered relevant to vulnerable migrants in Uzbekistan. The Consultant is not expected to conduct a comprehensive quantitative needs assessment. Where sufficient data are unavailable, a reasoned hypothesis regarding the existence of a protection need may be formulated, with a clear indication of the basis for the conclusion and any relevant information limitations. 3. Identify the types of protection services and responses required to address the identified needs. For each relevant or potentially relevant protection need, identify the types of services, assistance, protection measures or other response mechanisms required to address it. At this stage, the analysis should identify the necessary function or response rather than a specific service provider or a predetermined institutional model for its delivery. 4. Map existing protection services and mechanisms in Uzbekistan. Identify existing governmental, non-governmental and other services and mechanisms that may fully or partially respond to the identified protection needs of vulnerable migrants. The mapping should cover not only specialized services for migrants or specific vulnerable groups, but also relevant mainstream services within the social protection, health-care, legal assistance, child protection and other systems where these may be capable of addressing the respective protection need. 5. Assess access to existing services and mechanisms. For relevant services, determine who is eligible to access them and how such access operates in practice, taking separate account, where relevant, of Uzbek nationals in the context of migration, foreign nationals and stateless persons in the context of migration. The assessment should consider not only formal eligibility for a service but also the practical ability to access it, including mechanisms for identification, information provision and referral, as well as significant administrative, legal, institutional or practical barriers. 6. Assess the capacity of existing services an