U.S. Protection - Non-Legal Internship

U.S. PROTECTION AND SOLUTIONS UNIT – VOLUNTEER NON-LEGAL INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITY

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency's Regional Representation in Washington, DC, seeks a volunteer Protection Intern to assist staff in its U.S. Protection and Solutions Unit. For a description of the unit’s work, please see http://www.unhcrwashington.org. Note that this is an unpaid internship for undergraduate and graduate students or recent graduates.

U.S. Protection and Solutions Unit – Protection Internship

Duties and Responsibilities may include:

Open and maintain individual case files in UNHCR registration database;

• Answer and respond to individual queries from asylum seekers, refugees, and other persons of concern to UNHCR, primarily through Detention Hotline;

• Conduct Country of Origin and other research for individual cases in support of the Protection and Solutions Unit Protection Counselor;

• Provide counseling on individual resettlement queries from congressional offices, NGOs and resettlement agencies through writing to UNHCR country offices;

• Observe and report on relevant meetings and conferences with government agencies and various NGOs working in the field;

• Other projects as needed increasing access to protection and assistance to persons of concern to UNHCR.

Qualifications and Experience:

• Bachelor’s Degree, either already obtained or in-process;

• Strong interest in refugee rights, international relations, human rights and humanitarian response;

• General technological proficiency a plus;

• Ability to multi-task and prioritize with minimal supervision. Attention to detail required.

• English language (fluency required); Fluency in French or Spanish (preferred).

Duration: 

Both full-time (40 hours/week) and part-time (minimum 20 hours/week) internships are available, for a minimum of ten weeks.

Applications: 

Applications must be complete or they will not be considered. Please send resume, cover letter, a brief writing sample (2-3  pages), and dates of availability to the US Protection and Solutions Unit Intern Coordinator, UNHCR, 1800 Massachusetts Ave NW, Suite 500, Washington,  D.C. 20036, Fax:  202-296-5660, Email: [email protected]. Note in the subject line “U.S. PROTECTION AND SOLUTIONS UNIT – NON-LEGAL INTERNSHIP” and include the semester/year for which the internship is desired.

Application deadlines can be found on our website: www.unhcr.org. Please note that applications  are reviewed on a rolling basis, and decisions may be reached prior to the application deadline. As such, interested applicants are encouraged to submit their materials in advance of the deadline.

UNHCR thanks all applicants. UNHCR will only contact those applicants who will be interviewed.