International Refugee Assistance Project’s Post

🔵 Important Update for Asylum Seekers 🔵 Dear Asylum Seekers, We hope this message finds you well. We understand the challenges and uncertainties you have been facing throughout your asylum journey. We want to bring to your attention an important development from the Home Office. The Home Office has set a goal to process all pending asylum cases by the end of this year, 2023. This means that if you are waiting for your asylum substantive interview, it is crucial to be prepared for the upcoming steps in the process. Here's what you need to do: 1. Be Ready for the Interview: Asylum substantive interviews are a critical part of your application process. Be prepared to attend the interview as scheduled. Your cooperation and honest responses during the interview can significantly impact the outcome of your case. 2. Gather Supporting Evidence: Along with attending the interview, it's essential to submit any supporting evidence that strengthens your asylum claim. This could include documents, testimonies, or any other information that validates your situation. 3. Stay Informed: Keep a close eye on any communication from the Home Office. They might send you updates regarding your interview or additional information they require. 3. Seek Legal Advice: If you haven't already, consider seeking legal advice or assistance to navigate through the asylum process. Legal professionals can provide you with valuable insights and guidance tailored to your specific case. We understand that this can be a stressful time, but staying informed and proactive is key. Your cooperation will contribute to a smoother and more efficient processing of your case. Please share this message with fellow asylum seekers to ensure everyone is well-informed. Remember, you are not alone in this journey, and there are resources available to support you. Stay strong, stay informed, and we wish you the very best in your asylum application process. #AsylumSeekers #HomeOffice #AsylumProcess #StayInformed

Patricia Llivisaca-Ramos, once a legal assistant in Ecuador, faced significant challenges after moving to New York City, where she worked cleaning homes. This job made her feel vulnerable and unsafe. Her situation transformed when she received a work permit, enabling her to secure a position at an immigrant rights organization in Queens, significantly improving her life and providing stability for her family. The anecdote expands to highlight a broader trend in New York City and across the U.S., where the acceleration in the processing of work permits has had profound impacts on migrants' lives. Recent data show a notable increase in the number of work permits issued, with significant reductions in processing times, thanks to various reforms, including the transition to online processing and a concerted effort to prioritize these applications. These changes are providing migrants with legal employment opportunities more rapidly, allowing them to contribute to the economy and integrate into society more effectively. The story also touches on personal accounts of other migrants, like Maria Jose Rodriguez Gomez from Peru, who found employment in a non-profit aiding migrants, and Gerson Sanchez from Venezuela, who aspires to establish his own bakery. These narratives illustrate the transformative power of obtaining work authorization, emphasizing dignity, self-esteem, and the ability to support oneself and one's family. Additionally, the chronicle outlines the collective efforts by various organizations and government bodies to streamline the work authorization process, demonstrating a community and systemic response to the needs of migrants. This concerted effort emphasizes the recognition of the importance of legal work status in empowering individuals to build new lives and contribute to their communities. #ImmigrantEmpowerment #WorkPermitProgress #NYCMigrantSupport #LegalWorkOpportunity #MigrantSuccessStories #CommunityAdvocacy #EconomicIntegration #PathToDignity

How Business Leaders Can Prepare to Hire Asylum Seekers--and Why They're Pushing for More

The Power of Protection: Éamonn's Story About 10 years ago, I was involved in setting up a partnership between A&L Goodbody (ALG), where I was working then, and the Irish Refugee Council, to give early legal advice to international protection applicants. Free Legal Advice Centres' (FLAC) Public Interest Law Alliance made the match. I think it was the first collaboration of its kind between an Irish law firm and an NGO providing legal services. I am delighted that it is still strong, and that this kind of partnership is now part of the Irish legal landscape. The IRC had developed the early legal advice model with only four lawyers: all brilliant. ALG had lawyers who were enthusiastic and full of talent but knew very little about refugee law. So, the IRC organised a "boot camp" to train-up some ALG lawyers, who then shadowed the IRC lawyers on early legal advice cases. We then started taking referrals from the IRC. We were very grateful to have the IRC legal experts’ sound advice at the end of a phone. We started to have good results in getting positive decisions for our clients. I think we also earned the respect of the decision makers at the Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner, now the International Protection Office, who have a difficult job. For lawyers who spend most of their time working on business transactions, and disputes and suchlike, international protection work has its challenges. It’s not about learning a new area of law. It’s about earning the trust of a client who may have suffered torture, whose experience is so different from anything in the lawyer’s own life; and who is still marginalised in the country from which they are seeking safety. Another challenge is the realisation that, for the client, success in a protection claim is less a milestone to celebrate than the beginning of a new life in a strange country, far from home and family – who may still be in danger. It is a privilege to stand in solidarity with, and give some practical support to, people who seek refuge in Ireland. I am immensely grateful to the IRC for (still) trusting me and other pro bono lawyers to work with their clients in this way. We should never take that trust for granted. Éamonn is a lawyer who has worked with the IRC pro bono for over a decade. Read More Stories 📘: https://lght.ly/g93932

The International Protection Agency is hiring and if you want a work like no other, this might be for you! QR code to vacancy below! Protection officers are responsible for thoroughly examining applications for international protection. Their primary duties include conducting in-depth interviews with asylum seekers to collect crucial information regarding the reasons they are seeking protection. During these interviews, protection officers aim to understand the specific circumstances and threats that prompted the asylum seekers to leave their home countries. In addition to gathering this information, protection officers play a key role in the decision-making process for asylum applications. They meticulously assess each case on an individual basis, taking into account the detailed accounts provided by the asylum seekers, as well as the latest information about the conditions in the asylum seekers' countries of origin. This assessment is conducted within the framework of both European Union and national asylum laws, ensuring that decisions are fair, just, and in line with legal standards. Protection officers must stay informed about current geopolitical events, human rights issues, and other relevant factors that might affect the safety and well-being of asylum seekers. Their evaluations are critical in determining whether an applicant qualifies for international protection, making their role essential in upholding the principles of asylum and humanitarian aid. #Faculty for Social Wellbeing - University of Malta

🔎Are you looking for a job? ✅If you speak English and have IT skills, you can check out the open position by Humans in the Loop for Annotation and Platform Specialist on the Refugee Employment Platform. 📲You can also check other open positions in different fields on Employment.refugeelight.bg 🔗See links in the comments: #FAR #FoundationForAccessToRights #internationalProtection #refugeelight #FreeLegalHelp #Support #migrants #refugees #cv #Employment #refugeeemployment

This week we are discussing: - Advocacy groups for immigrants are condemning the Biden administration for circulating videos of deportation flights, claiming they portray migrants negatively. - Despite warnings, Texas installed anti-immigrant buoys in the Rio Grande, potentially violating treaties and federal regulations leading to the Justice Department taking legal action. - The New York Attorney General has chosen not to defend the governor concerning the treatment of asylum seekers highlighting disagreements on migrant management in the city. - Sixty-one Congress members have called on USCIS to do more to address the massive asylum backlog, suggesting prioritizing older cases. - Lawyers in Florida have filed for an injunction against a state law that criminalizes the transportation of undocumented immigrants, arguing that federal law supersedes state regulations. 💪 We’re an asylum law firm, and we help immigrants all over the country secure their future in America through asylum. 📲 (713) 352-1593 https://lnkd.in/gj7Ghhba ✅ Want to be as prepared as possible for your asylum INTERVIEW? Start with this video, about how to answer questions: https://lnkd.in/gu94Dzim ☑️ ...then watch this playlist, all about the asylum interview: https://lnkd.in/g5fEDgP3 👍 For insights into the asylum application form, check out this playlist: https://lnkd.in/gxX2K4DV 🤔 Looking for info about the credible fear interview? Here’s a full-length training: https://lnkd.in/gqXawDYf 📲 Want help with your asylum case? Call us today to schedule an Asylum Strategy Session: (713) 352-1593 ….or use this link to schedule online! www.winasylum.com #immigrationupdate

Latest #asylum and #migration vacancies from the #ECREWeekly:

Katsikas camp is a temporary reception facility located 5 km from Ioannina and 250 km from Thessaloniki, providing shelter for up to 900 asylum seekers and refugees today. Nearby, Agia Eleni camp gathers 400 people. The situation in both places is increasingly concerning. The remote location of the camps cuts off its residents from employment opportunities, making them heavily reliant on the few remaining organizations in the area. International organizations like IOM and ASB have withdrawn, leaving a scarcity of vital services. Shockingly, there's currently no legal actors available for the 1300 asylum seekers. Legal assistance crisis As of 2023, the demand for legal aid has surged, overwhelming local organizations unable to meet the growing need. To help bridge this gap, our team of volunteers, interpreters, and coordinators, along with Mobile Info Team, organizes legal clinics every two months at local grassroots organizations such as BAAS - Be Aware And Share and Habibi.Works. However, these clinics present significant challenges. Despite a long three-hour drive, we can only provide 20 minutes of consultation per asylum seeker, resulting in 20 hours of service spread over two days. In our recent legal clinic end of September, ELA conducted one collective information session and provided 16 individual consultations for 10 families and 6 individuals. We offered assistance in five languages: Somali, Arabic, French, Farsi, and Greek. In June, our team provided 26 individual consultations and conducted three collective information sessions. The complexity of asylum procedures in Greece necessitates legal representation. By being denied access to proper legal support, asylum seekers face tremendous challenges and uncertainties throughout their asylum journey. It's crucial to ensure that they have fair and adequate legal assistance to navigate these complexities and safeguard their rights. #unréfugié #accesstoasylumforall #rightsdefenders #LegalAid #Aidejuridique #Greece #Grèce #Onerefugee #Displacedpeople #refugees #outreach

Latest #asylum and #migration vacancies from the #ECREWeekly: