Saint Andrew’s Refugee Services, Cairo
Vacancy Announcement: Refugee Legal Aid Program, Resettlement Legal 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.
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 and assists refugees in accessing resettlement to safe third countries. The Refugee Legal Aid Program is seeking a Resettlement Legal Officer to assist vulnerable refugees in their resettlement process.
Role
Under the supervision of the Refugee Legal Aid Program Resettlement Coordinator, the Resettlement Legal Officer is responsible for the provision of legal advice and representation to urban refugees in matters related to resettlement. This includes: assessment of initial requests for assistance with resettlement, the screening of cases to identify those of heightened vulnerability fitting UNHCR’s resettlement criteria, drafting referral documents in support of claims for resettlement, reviewing intake screenings of volunteer legal advisors, and providing advice to refugees in all matters related to resettlement through drop-in services. The Refugee Legal Aid Program Resettlement Legal Officer is also expected to contribute to advocacy efforts regarding the urban refugee population and to supervise and train volunteer staff. The Refugee Legal Aid Program Resettlement Legal Officer is a member of a team of approximately 20 legal staff and reports to the Resettlement Coordinator.
Responsibilities
All duties are carried out under the supervision of the Resettlement Coordinator.
Legal and Technical
- To conduct the screening and intake of potential clients for representation in resettlement matters.
- To prepare seven to ten resettlement referrals per month.
- To maintain good working knowledge of UNHCR policies and procedures in resettlement matters.
- To assist in the review and preparation of resettlement referrals to UNHCR.
- To identify cases appropriate for expedited consideration by UNHCR and to draft such requests.
- To assist with follow-up communication and inquiries to UNHCR regarding resettlement cases.
- To provide general legal counseling and assistance to refugees regarding their applications for registration, protection, and resettlement before UNHCR.
- To undertake country of origin research in support of individual claims and for general organizational research purposes. 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 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 Resettlement Coordinator in development and implementation of team policies and procedures.
- To provide case reporting data to the Resettlement Coordinator as requested for purposes of accurately reporting work to senior management, funders, and others.
- To attend and contribute to 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 Resettlement Coordinator in conducting intensive one to two-week training for new volunteers two to three times per year.
- To assist the Resettlement Coordinator in the management of volunteer caseloads, and the provision of case specific advice.
- 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 Resettlement Coordinator, reporting on all major issues and developments in the field and within the Refugee Legal Aid Program.
- To promote information-sharing within the Refugee Legal Aid Program and StARS on all issues affecting the populations we serve.
- Other duties as assigned.
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 Resettlement Legal Officer must be fluent in oral and written English.
- Fluency in Arabic or a refugee language is an advantage.
- Master’s degree in a related field (international development, international law, development studies, Middle East Studies) OR a qualified lawyer in any jurisdiction (J.D., LLB or equivalent) OR a minimum of one year of experience in representing refugees in the resettlement or Refugee Status Determination processes OR two years of experience providing direct representation to indigent people in any setting.
- Excellent legal research and drafting skills.
- Knowledge of UNHCR guidelines and procedures, especially resettlement criteria.
- 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.
- Proven experience drafting client affidavits and legal arguments.
- 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 designing and conducting training for non-technical audiences.
- Managerial experience or familiarity with volunteer oversight
- Life and work experience in the Middle East or Egypt or with an urban refugee population.
Working Hours: The Resettlement Legal 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, Resettlement Coordinator
Salary: 12,550 EGP/month. Plus 8,000 EGP/year Health Coverage and 500 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: 8 September 2024
Anticipated Starting date: As soon as possible
Please send your Cover Letter and CV and brief legal writing sample for RLAD to [email protected] using the subject line “Resettlement Legal Officer”. 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.
