Become part of a global team of human rights researchers
Unpaid volunteering position
Asylos is looking for a researcher for its Russia/CIS (Comomonwealth of Independent States) research team. The volunteer researcher will conduct research into human rights abuses to support asylum seekers coming from the Russia/CIS region. This entails looking into political and security situations, human rights violations, and any other facts that will support an asylum seeker in proving her/his need for protection. The researcher will be expected to commit at least two hours per week and will work in close cooperation with the other team members and team coordinators, sharing best practices and feedback.
Asylos is a global network of volunteer researchers providing on demand background research to support asylum claims. The research concerns the situation in the country of origin of the asylum seeker or other facts relating to an individual asylum claim. In many countries, legal aid provided for asylum seekers is limited. Lawyers can’t devote sufficient time to researching information which may substantiate asylum requests in court. Asylos volunteers help lawyers and caseworkers look for information that can help to establish whether forcing a refugee to return to his/her country of origin or transit would threaten his/her life or deny fundamental human and civil rights.
Your profile
Strong research skills and an experience in academic research (or in country-of-origin information research);
A strong interest in the Russia/CIS region and possibly also a network on the ground;
Very good knowledge of English and/or French (required);
The ability to read and speak Russian and/or another language of the CIS region (national but also minority languages of the region are a strong asset);
An interest in leveraging social media, academic sources, and primary sources for research;
Previous experience in the field of public health and research on access to healthcare is a plus;
A willingness to use online collaboration tools;
A strong commitment to meet tight deadlines;
At least three years of university‐level studies; law, politics or international relations are excellent preparation but other subjects and relevant work experience will be considered in lieu.
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 using social media, conducting interviews, and other research techniques;
Participation in Asylos’ annual network meeting.
How to apply:
To apply, please send your CV and a short letter of motivation to info@asylos.eu. For more information on Asylos, visit our website www.asylos.eu, and follow us on Twitter (@asylos_) Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/asylos.research), or connect on LinkedIn linkedin.com/company/asylos/. Please note we accept applications on a rolling basis.
