Volunteer Researcher – Emergency Country of Origin Information Repository Team

Asylos is looking for a volunteer researcher for its Emergency Country of Origin Information (COI) Repository Team. The volunteer researcher will conduct research into human rights violations and abuses to support asylum seekers. This entails looking into political and security situations, targeted social groups, and any other information that will support an asylum seeker in proving their need for protection. The researcher will be expected to commit at least two hours every week for the next three months between 1 July – 30 September 2022.

Asylos is a global network of volunteer researchers providing on demand background and strategic research reports to support individuals in refugee status determination and international protection procedures. The research we provide aims to make the decision-making process fairer. In many countries, legal aid provided for asylum seekers is limited. Asylos volunteers help lawyers and caseworkers find information that can help to establish whether forcing an individual to return to their country of origin or transit would threaten their life or deny fundamental human rights. In response to the situations in Afghanistan and Pakistan last year and recent developments in Ukraine, Asylos produces Emergency COI Repositories for legal representatives or those assisting asylum seekers from these respective countries. For more information on our Emergency COI work, please visit: https://www.asylos.eu/what-we-do

Your profile: ● Strong research skills and/or experience in academic research (or in country-of-origin information research); ● An interest in the regions of Afghanistan, Pakistan and/or Ukraine, and preferably a network on the ground in one or all of those states/or in neighboring states; ● Fluent in English; ● The ability to read and speak Pashto and/or Dari; knowledge of another national or minority language of the region(s) will be an asset but is not essential; ● The ability to read and speak Ukrainian and/or Russian will be an asset but is not essential; ● A strong commitment to meet tight deadlines and the minimum volunteer time requirement(s) of 2 hours per week over 3 months (1 July – 30 September 2022); ● At least three years of university-level studies or equivalent professional experience in law, politics, international relations or related fields will be an asset but are not essential.

What we offer: ● An opportunity to help change the lives of asylum seekers and get involved in a dynamic project with a small but fast-growing organisation; ● An international network of highly qualified and motivated volunteers with meetings in Amsterdam, London, Berlin, Brussels and Paris; ● An inclusive working atmosphere with room for taking initiative and proposing new projects; ● Regular COI research training, incl. in conducting interviews with experts on the ground, and in disability rights, child rights, medical COI, and other research techniques; ● Participation in Asylos’ annual network meeting.