Entrepreneurship in the territories: is it the right time?
Department Description
The Legal Services Team at Asylum Access Thailand (AAT) plays a crucial role in providing comprehensive legal support and assistance to refugees in Bangkok and Mae Sot, Tak. The primary responsibilities of this team include:
● Ensuring refugees have access to justice and protection: The Legal Services Team works to safeguard the rights and wellbeing of refugees by facilitating their access to legal remedies and safeguards.
● Supporting refugees during the Legal Status processes, including, Refugee Status Determination (RSD) and National Screening Mechanism (NSM) processes: The program provides essential guidance and support to refugees navigating the complex RSD and NSM procedures, helping them navigate the system effectively.
● Informing refugees about the legal status process, including but not limited to RSD and NSM: The Legal Services Team is responsible for educating refugees about the processes and their rights and options within this framework.
The Legal Services Team is overseen by the Executive Director and includes the Bangkok team of Legal Status, Protection, Interpreter and Paralegal, Screening and Intake, and Volunteer Legal Advocates; and the Mae Sot team of Protection.
Position Description
Under the guidance of the Executive Director, the Project Legal Advisor will be responsible for the implementation of Mae Sot paralegal project. The project’s goal is to enhance legal protection for Burmese refugees in Mae Sot, through legal empowerment and self-protection, focusing on building paralegal capacity, conducting a study on deportation for the development of internal SOP, and providing direct legal assistance and case management to Burmese refugees. The areas to be covered are:
Key Responsibilities
Project Management
● Lead the implementation and development of the Mae Sot paralegal project
● Assess paralegal training needs and identify suitable topics and trainers
● Support the development of paralegal training curriculum and materials
● Develop training agenda, materials and organize paralegal trainings
● Plan and coordinate legal clinic schedules, topics, and logistics with paralegals
● Collaborate on cross-functional initiatives with other AAT Teams
● Development of the Study Report and AAT Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) on deportation of the new Burmese refugees.
Monitoring and Evaluation
● Evaluate and provide constructive feedback on community presentations
● Maintain comprehensive program documentation and records
● Monitor and improve the quality of community paralegal training project through curriculum development and material enhancement
● Contribute regular updates for donor reporting
● Support program evaluation through data collection and analysis
Case Management and Legal Assistance
● Provide full legal representation and short services for clients facing protection concerns and issues involving Thai law.
● Identify cases appropriate for special consideration by UNHCR and undertake inquiries to UNHCR;
● Undertake comprehensive case management practices, including maintaining database records and keeping detailed notes of all case work activities;
● Maintain good working knowledge of relevant guidelines, processes and procedures;
● Maintain good working knowledge of current political and social situation in Country of origin;
Relationship Building, Networking, Advocacy and Training Support
● Support the Executive Director in Policy and advocacy efforts on issues affecting new refugees, via domestic networks and international human rights mechanisms;
● Build and maintain strong relationships with staff, operational partners and networks to ensure smooth running of operations;
● Build and maintain strong relationships with refugee communities in Mae Sot, and facilitate communication of accurate information so as to enable the fulfillment of refugee rights; and
● Other work as assigned by the supervisor.
