Legal Intake Officer 80 views0 applications

Saint Andrew’s Refugee Services, Cairo

Vacancy Announcement: Legal Intake Officer

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.

Project Description: Refugee Legal Aid Program

The Refugee Legal Aid Program provides advice and representation to refugees seeking recognition by UNHCR through refugee status determination procedures in Egypt and assists refugees in accessing resettlement to safe third countries. The Refugee Legal Aid Program is seeking a Legal Intake Officer to assist in conducting initial screenings of refugees approaching Refugee Legal Aid Program for assistance with refugee status determination, protection, and resettlement related inquiries.

Current Sudan Context

In light of the recent and ongoing civil war in Sudan, StARS is experiencing a high influx of persons forcibly displaced from Sudan. This includes Sudanese nationals and other nationalities previously displaced from their country of origin to Sudan. StARS remains flexible and reactive to changes in the local asylum-seeking environment as influenced by the Sudan conflict. Refugee Legal Aid Program is seeking to increase its capacity to provide adequate legal advice and representation in accordance with UNHCR procedures, to best assist those affected by this ongoing conflict.

Role

Under the supervision of the Senior Legal Intake Officer and Refugee Legal Aid Program Coordinators, the Legal Intake Officer is responsible for the provision of legal advice, referrals, and emergency assistance to refugees and vulnerable migrants accessing Refugee Legal Aid Program’s drop-in and emergency response clinic. This includes conducting intake assessments with and providing the relevant counseling or referral for walk-in clients reporting detention, those approaching to request assistance with pressing protection or GBV risks, those at risk of deportation, and those in need of counseling or guidance on UNHCR registration, Refugee Status Determination, or resettlement processing. The Legal Intake Officer will prepare detention reports, referrals for legal assistance or UNHCR registration, and referral for Refugee Legal Aid Program full Refugee Status Determination or protection screening. Further responsibilities include providing guidance and support for individuals seeking access to complementary pathways and identifying cases that Refugee Legal Aid Program can support to access a durable solution through complementary pathways.

Responsibilities

All duties are carried out under the supervision of the Senior Legal Intake Officer, Resettlement and Refugee Status Determination Coordinators.

Legal and Technical

• To conduct intake and screening for identifying at-risk refugees and vulnerable migrants to be prioritized for Refugee Legal Aid Program services.
• To conduct a minimum of six half-day shifts of Refugee Legal Aid Program’s drop in and emergency response clinic weekly, and be present for back-up coverage of other shifts as necessary.
• To maintain good working knowledge of UNHCR policies and procedures.
• To collect information from clients reporting the detention of refugees and migrants and draft detention reports to be sent to UNHCR.
• To assess the domestic legal needs of refugees and migrants, provide advice on personal status proceedings and criminal proceedings, and prepare referrals to UNHCR’s legal assistance unit as appropriate.
• To provide advice to refugees and migrants on procedures to access residency permits, and prepare referrals to UNHCR’s Protection Unit for refugees denied residency.
• To provide advice on UNHCR’s registration procedures and prepare referrals to UNHCR’s Registration Unit to resolve registration related issues as appropriate.
• To assist with follow-up communication and inquiries to UNHCR regarding legal, registration and resettlement cases.
• To provide general legal counseling and assistance to refugees regarding their applications for Refugee Status Determination and resettlement.
• To provide general assistance and counseling to refugees regarding access to complementary pathways and family reunification.
• To assess extra-legal client needs and refer 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 assist the Refugee Legal Aid Program coordinators and the Senior Legal Intake Officer in development and implementation of team policies and procedures.
• To provide case reporting data to the Refugee Legal Aid Program coordinators as requested for purposes of accurately reporting work to senior management, funders, and others.
• To attend and contribute to team meetings and other staff meetings.
• To build and maintain strong relationships with refugee communities in Cairo.
• To build and maintain relationships with psychosocial and education staff and operational partners.

Supervisory

• To assist the Senior Legal Intake Officer and Refugee Legal Aid Program Coordinators in conducting intensive two-to-three-week training for new volunteers two to three times per year.
• Under the supervision of the Senior Legal Intake Officer, to assist in the supervision and training of new Refugee Legal Aid Program staff.
• To engage proactively in promoting self-care among volunteers and other staff.
• To ensure high quality legal advice and representation and a refugee rights-based approach.

Finance and Administration

• To undergo probation and regular performance appraisals.

Communication and Reporting

• To communicate regularly with the Senior Legal Intake Officer, reporting on all major issues and developments in the field and within the Refugee Legal Aid Program.
• To assist the Senior Legal Intake Officer conduct trend analysis based on the nature of requests received through Refugee Legal Aid Program’s drop-in and emergency response clinics.
• 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 or 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, the Legal Intake Officer must be fluent in oral and written English.
• Fluency in Arabic or another refugee language.
• Undergraduate university degree in a related field (international development, international law, development or political studies) OR a qualified lawyer in any jurisdiction (J.D., LLB or equivalent) OR a minimum of one year of experience in representing refugees or displaced people in legal or protection issues.
• Excellent legal research, analytical, and drafting skills.
• Knowledge of UNHCR guidelines and procedures.
• High computer literacy level.
• Knowledge of the general protection situation and vulnerabilities of refugees in Egypt.
• A demonstrated commitment to and sensitivity toward vulnerable or displaced people.
• Ability to live and work in a fluid security environment.
• Ability to exercise sound legal judgment, well organized, self-motivated, and reliable.
• Demonstrated compassion for refugees and displaced people.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing.
• Demonstrated ability to work in a team as well as individually.
• A positive attitude and sensitive manner when dealing with clients including a range of interviewing skills for dealing with challenging scenarios, particularly in advocating for survivors of violence, trafficking, torture, and sexual and gender-based violence.

Desirable Characteristics:

• Experience conducting training for non-technical audiences.
• People with lived experience of displacement are strongly encouraged to apply.
• Life and work experience in the Middle East or Egypt or with an urban refugee population.

Working Hours: The Legal Intake Officer 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: Refugee Legal Aid Program Senior Legal Intake Officer, and Resettlement Program Coordinator.

Salary: 9,450 EGP/month, rising to 10,450 EGP/month following successful completion three-month probationary period. Plus 4,020 EGP/year Health Coverage and 100 EGP/month Saving Scheme Contribution upon completion of probationary period.

Additional official benefits as stipulated in StARS Staff Handbook Guidelines.

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.

Closing date for applications: 12 September 2023

Anticipated Starting date: 1 October 2023