Legal Fellowship at Helsinki Citizens' Assembly in Turkey

LEGAL FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM

Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly (hCa) is a non-governmental organization based in Istanbul, Turkey, promoting fundamental rights and liberties, democracy and pluralism. For more information on hCa and its work on a diversity of issues, see:www.hyd.org.tr

hCa’s Refugee Advocacy and Support Program (RASP) is devoted to: ▪ ensuring the legal protection of refugees and vulnerable migrants in Turkey; ▪ monitoring state policies and practice in the area of asylum and irregular migration control; ▪ advocating for legislation and policies in line with international standards; and ▪ encouraging public awareness and local ownership.

hCa – RASP provides extensive free legal assistance and representation to individuals who wish to apply for asylum protection inTurkeyand/or are in need of legal interventions to prevent being unlawfully deported or detained arbitrarily. RASP’s legal assistance caseload is largely comprised of asylum seekers fromIran,Afghanistan,SudanandSomalia, among others. RASP legal assistance services mainly engage UNHCR Turkey’s “refugee status determination” procedure, but also the parallel “temporary asylum” procedure administered by the Government of Turkey. Services range from basic information and counseling to drafting of legal submissions, legal representation at UNHCR and litigation interventions at relevant domestic courts and ECtHR.

hCa – RASP is a leading civil society stakeholder in the policy debate on refugees and migrants inTurkey. The Program publishes reports about protection gaps, engages the government and other stakeholders, and conducts training events and media work. In 2006, hCa was among the founders of Southern Refugee Legal Aid Network (SRLAN), an initiative of legal assistance providers serving refugees in the global south. In 2008, hCa became the first NGO fromTurkeyto join the European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE), an umbrella organization of over 60 refugee-advocacy NGOs from acrossEurope.

Legal Fellowship Program: hCa – RASP regularly involves qualified Legal Fellows to contribute to the organization’s legal assistance work in the capacity of a Legal Advisor for asylum applicants, mainly dealing with the UNHCR Turkey “refugee status determination” (RSD) procedure. RASP primarily focuses on appeal and reopening assistance vis-à-vis UNHCR’s RSD procedures inTurkey, with the exception of unaccompanied minors who are provided with legal assistance at all stages of RSD procedures.

Legal Fellows are provided an intensive introductory training on UNHCR and Government asylum procedures, relevant domestic and international law, country of origin research, ethical considerations working with refugees, interviewing techniques and the role of interpreters during client interviews. Additionally, Fellows receive continuous support and supervision during their involvement with the Program. They participate in periodic internal training events as well as attend regular case meetings to discuss legal assessment and strategies to be pursued on individual cases. As members of the RASP legal assistance team, Fellows are informed about hCa’s various activities and initiatives for legal and policy advocacy and contribute to strategy and development discussions.

hCa – RASP offers a fast-paced, multi-cultural environment and an opportunity to work with an international group of team members. RASP Legal Fellows can be local or international. The working languages of the RASP team are English and Turkish. Most of RASP’s legal-assistance related correspondence and internal communications are carried out in English. RASP legal submissions to UNHCR and ECtHR are also drafted in English. Farsi, Arabic, French and Somali are among the languages regularly spoken in the RASP Office to communicate with refugee and vulnerable migrant clients.

Legal Fellows are expected to commit 4 or 5 days (30-40 hours) per week for a 6-month fellowship term, with the possibility of an extension. In exceptional cases, applicants who demonstrate relevant previous experience and seem prepared to make a significant contribution immediately may be accepted for a shorter term of commitment. hCa-RASP does not have fixed fellowship terms; new fellows are selected and involved on a rolling basis depending on need and availability of fellowship vacancies. Fellowships are unpaid and hCa is unable to provide housing and relocation assistance.

Core Responsibilities:

• conducting in-depth interviews with RASP clients focusing on why they left their country of origin and why they fear going back;
• conducting legal research on applicable international standards and case law;
• conducting research on countries of origin;
• drafting affidavits and legal arguments;
• attending regular case meetings;
• representing clients during interviews at the UNHCR;
• liaising with the UNHCR on clients’ protection needs;
• referring clients to social service providers;

Requirements:

• educational background in a relevant field, including but not limited to human rights, law, international relations and/or migration studies;
• knowledge and understanding of the legal concepts and tools used in the refugee protection context;
• familiarity with the “refugee status determination procedures” as conducted under UNHCR’s Mandate, applicable UNHCR standards;
• English fluency and writing ability;
• excellent analytical and writing skills;
• ability to work under pressure and to meet deadlines;
• commitment to respecting personal differences based on factors including but not limited to ethnicity, skin color, religion, gender and sexual orientation;
• commitment to respecting the confidentiality of clients and any information shared with RASP;
• willingness to take on a wide variety of tasks and responsibilities;
• ability to take initiative and work well independently while also being able to work collaboratively;
• basic computer skills (Microsoft Office).

Preferred Skills:

• fluency and writing skills in Turkish, French, Arabic or Farsi;
• experience working with vulnerable people;
• experience interviewing survivors of trauma or torture;
• knowledge and understanding of the asylum context inTurkey;
• experience working with an NGO.

How to Apply: Applicants are asked to send a CV and a letter of motivation in English explaining their background and interest in volunteering with hCa – RASP. Please address applications torefugeeaid@hyd.org.tr and clearly indicate your request to be considered for a fellowship position in the subject line (Legal Fellowship Application). In your letter of motivation, please specify clearly the start date by which you would be prepared to commit to RASP and the length of time you wish to serve.

Once your application material is received, a confirmation email will be sent to you. After a preliminary review of applications, short-listed applicants are contacted for an interview. Online interviews can be arranged for applicants residing outside ofTurkey.