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The decision to give Tallinn University the honour of becoming the Estonian Nation Contact Point for the European Migration Network (EMN NCP) from June 1^st 2015 brought us nothing but joy, initially.

During the past few days, though, the media has posed some questions that started at the University of Tartu. It turned out the contact point’s location was decided without competition and that the chancellor of the Ministry of the Interior Leif Kalev happens to be a professor at Tallinn University.

Professor Raul Eamets from the University of Tartu expressed his opinion that if there had been a competition, UT would also have participated. After all, the contact point brings along €200,000 in support funds annually.

Since prof. Leif Kalev’s private life was also looked into by the media, he decided to submit his resignation application on April 9^th, after meeting the Minsiter of the Interior, Hanno Pevkur. “Things must not only be right, but seem right,” Kalev explained his decision. He also mentioned that he tried to keep away from the decision process of the contact point, but was, ex officio, required to be a signatory to the agreement.

Leif Kalev’s final day as the chancellor of the ministry is June 15^th, after which he wishes to concentrate on his academic work and hopes to regain the time he lost during the three years of administrative work.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS REGARDING THE CONTACT POINT

Why was there no public competition? Tallinn University became the contact point by decree of the Minister of Interior, which stemmed from the analyses done at the ministry. There was no competition, since the contract is signed between the European Commission and the Nation Contact Point. The Ministry has no part in the agreement.

There was also no competition, when the contact point was assigned to the Estonian Academy of Security Sciences, either.

Why Tallinn University? Tallinn University was chosen based on the analyses conducted at the Ministry of the Interior and a wish to join the current competency of the contact point with the academic environment. The university has the Institutes of Political Science and Governance, International and Social Studies and the Estonian Institute of Population Studies, which have much experience in research and development in the fields of citizenship and migration. This helps us to work together with the experts in the field and create synergy by bringing the data from the contact point into our studies and academic articles.

What will happen now with the contact point? The Deputy Secretary General for Public Order and Migration Policy of the Ministry, Raivo Küüt, said the contact point will definitely move into Tallinn University. The European Commission will have to approve this to make the contact point active.

Who will lead the contact point? This has not yet been decided. Mari-Liis Jakobson, a lecturer at the Institute of Political Science and Governance, who worked with the contact point previously, has asked the Rectorate to relieve her from this position, citing personal reasons.

What will be the next steps? This week, Tallinn University will send their application to the European Commission. The agreement will be signed until the end of 2016, after that a new contract will be signed every 2 years. For the first month in the 2015-2017 period, the Estonian Academy of Security Sciences has the contract.