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Saint Andrew’s Refugee Services, Cairo
Vacancy Announcement: Resettlement Volunteer Legal Advisor
Founded in 1979, StARS is a refugee service provider in central Cairo that works to enhance the quality of life for refugees and vulnerable migrants through five broad program areas: education, psychosocial, legal, community outreach and unaccompanied youth and children support services. We provide high-quality services meeting the unaddressed needs of refugees, and we provide a safe and inclusive space for displaced people to come together as a community. We work for refugees, with refugees, to make rights recognition a reality.
StARS’ Mission: Driven by a commitment to justice and fairness, StARS works as displaced people and for displaced people to respect human dignity and enhance quality of life.
StARS’ Vision: Displaced people lead in the creation and implementation of responses to different forms of migration to establish safe, just, welcoming, and inclusive communities globally.
We serve people from many places, including Eritrea, Ethiopia, Iraq, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.
To learn more please visit our website: www.stars-egypt.org or our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/standrewsrefugeeservices?fref=ts
Description of the Program
The Refugee Legal Aid Program provides advice and representation to refugees seeking recognition by UNHCR through refugee status determination procedures in Egypt, assists refugees in accessing resettlement to safe third countries, and advises refugees on protection matters. The Refugee Legal Aid Program is seeking Volunteer Legal Advisors to assist vulnerable refugees in resettlement processes and protection procedures.
Role
The Refugee Legal Aid Program relies on a team of volunteer legal advisors who conduct the majority of the casework, who can commit to work at the Refugee Legal Aid Program for a period of six months.
Under the supervision of the Resettlement Program Coordinator and Resettlement Senior Legal Officers, the Resettlement Volunteer Legal Advisors is responsible for the provision of legal advice to urban refugees in matters related to protection, and representation in resettlement.
This includes: the screening of refugee cases to identify those of heightened vulnerability fitting UNHCR’s resettlement criteria or needing protection interventions, and preparation of detailed written briefs addressing the refugee’s situation in Egypt in support of claims for resettlement. The Resettlement Volunteer Legal Advisors are part of a team of approximately 15 staff and volunteers.
Responsibilities
All duties are carried out under the supervision of the Resettlement Program Coordinator and Resettlement Senior Legal Officers.
Legal and Technical
- To conduct the screening and intake of potential clients for representation in resettlement matters.
- To conduct the screening and intake of potential clients for advice and interventions in protection matters.
- To prepare resettlement referrals to the UNHCR Resettlement Unit.
- To maintain good working knowledge of UNHCR policies and procedures in resettlement and protection matters.
- To provide general legal counseling and assistance to refugees regarding their applications for registration, protection, and resettlement before UNHCR through the Refugee Legal Aid Program on-call services.
- To maintain good working knowledge of the current political and social situations in the countries of origin of StARS’ clients.
- To assess extra-legal client needs and recommend referrals to other StARS’ teams or external organizations as appropriate.
- To undertake comprehensive case management practices including maintaining and updating electronic databases and records for each client, and keeping detailed notes of all casework activities.
- To adhere to the Nairobi Code of Ethics, the StARS Policies and Procedures Manual, and the StARS Code of Conduct.
Programmatic
- To attend and contribute to the Refugee Legal Aid Program Resettlement Team meetings.
- To build and maintain relationships with StARS psychosocial and education staff.
- To work one to two four-hour shifts each week to counsel walk-in clients with concerns relating to protection or resettlement
- To attend two weeks of intensive training.
Communication and Reporting
- To communicate regularly with the Resettlement Program Coordinator and Resettlement Senior Legal Officers, reporting on all major issues and developments in the field and within the Refugee Legal Aid Program
- To become familiar with the Refugee Legal Aid Program database program and accurately record and follow up on all relevant case management
- To promote information-sharing within the Refugee Legal Aid Program and StARS on all issues affecting the populations we serve.
Qualifications and Experience
The ideal candidate will be energetic, articulate, and comfortable interacting with diverse segments of society. She/he will have demonstrated a firm commitment to human rights and refugee issues.
Essential qualifications
- English being the official language of UNHCR Cairo and StARS, Resettlement Volunteer Legal Advisors must be fluent in oral and written English.
- Excellent writing skills.
- Well organized, self-motivated, and reliable.
- Commitment to and sensitivity toward vulnerable or displaced people.
- Ability to live and work in a fluid security environment.
- Ability to work in a team as well as individually.
- A positive attitude and sensitive manner in advocating for clients who are survivors of violence, trafficking, torture, and Sexual Gender Based Violence.
Desirable Characteristics
- Fluency or working knowledge of Arabic or a refugee language is an advantage.
- Knowledge of UNHCR guidelines and procedures.
- Knowledge of the general protection situation and vulnerabilities of refugees in Egypt.
- Knowledge of the general situation of the countries from which StARS’s clients originate.
- Life and work experience in the Middle East or Egypt.
Working Hours: The Resettlement Volunteer Legal Advisor is expected to be at work for 40 hours per week, between the hours of 9am and 5pm, from Sunday to Thursday. Longer hours, evening and weekend work are sometimes necessary. Work will be conducted both in StARS premises and also in refugee communities and centers.
Supervised by: Resettlement Senior Legal Officers
This position is subject to a three-month probationary period, at which time the employee’s performance will be reviewed and probation may be extended.
How to apply
To apply: Please send your Cover Letter and CV and brief legal writing sample to [email protected] using the subject line “Resettlement Volunteer Legal Advisor”. All applications should provide contact information for two professional/academic reference (referees will only be contacted after interviews).
Note: Only short-listed applicants will be contacted for an interview.