Legal Protection Intern

Hardship Level (not applicable for home-based)

H (no hardship)

FamilyInternship Local

2023-02-01-08:00December 9, 2022UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is offering a full-time internship with the Legal Protection team within the Protection Unit at UNHCR Representation for Central Europe (Budapest).

Established in December 1950, UNHCR is a global organization dedicated to saving lives, protecting rights and building a better future for asylum seekers, refugees, returnees, internally displaced communities and stateless people. Every year, millions of men, women and children are forced to flee their homes to escape conflict and persecution. UNHCR currently operates in over 130 countries, using its long expertise to protect and care for millions.

Title: Legal Protection Intern
Duty Station: Budapest, Hungary
Duration: 6 months
Contract Type: Internship
Closing date for application: 20 December 2022
Start date: 1 February 2023

Organizational context

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Representation for Central Europe includes four countries in the Central European region: the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, and Slovenia. The Legal Protection Internship is located in the Protection Unit responsible for Hungary. On one hand, Hungary is a first country of asylum in terms of the Ukraine refugee emergency, on the other hand, it is part of the Western Balkans mixed migration route, both situations posing significant challenges relating to the protection of displaced persons.

Within the Protection Unit, the Legal Protection Intern will be part of the Legal Protection team that focuses on the legal status and access to the rights of asylum-seekers, refugees and stateless persons. The Legal Protection team, among others, is responsible for keeping abreast of legislative changes on the national level, mapping the rights of refugees and accessing these rights in practice, engaging in advocacy efforts to promote the protection of affected people, and providing information about the rights and entitlements of refugees to refugees themselves and those who support them.

As Legal Protection Intern, you would be an integral part of a diverse international team, working on matters at the heart of refugee protection in the largest such organization in the world. Besides preforming research under the supervision of the Protection Associate, you would be attending professional events and meetings, helping to deepen your understanding of relevant issues and building your connections in the humanitarian sector. Apart from gaining work experience in an emergency setting within the Ukraine refugee crisis response, you would have access to an array of training opportunities to support your professional development. UNHCR offers a competitive compensation package for Internship positions.

The position

As Legal Protection Intern, you will be the part of the Legal Protection team within the Protection Unit. The role of the intern will be to support the Legal Protection team in its daily activities. You will be supporting the Protection Associate and the Legal Protection Team in keeping abreast of relevant national legislation, performing legal research, drafting information materials on refugees’ access to specific rights and services, drafting background notes for meetings, and organizing workshops and events.

The ideal candidate will be a recent graduate in the field of law, or political science, or international relations, with a specialization on international law, humanitarian law, human rights or refugee law. Experience in the field of migration and asylum is an asset. . Knowledge of Hungarian language and high-level command of English (C1 or above) is essential. Knowledge of Ukrainian and/or Russian language is an asset. The ideal candidate will have good analytical skills and a high level of precision and attention to detail. They will be a dynamic team-player with a “can do” attitude and a growth mindset. They will have integrity and the ability to perform their duties in immanent alignment with the UNHCR Code of Conduct and the core values of UNHCR.

Duties and responsibilities

• Performing protection-related activities;
• Real-time tracking of and reporting on relevant national legislative developments and case-law, keeping abreast of relevant developments at European Union level;
• Legal research on specific questions relating to the rights of persons in need of protection and related areas of law, including the protection statuses of displaced persons in Hungary, attached rights and entitlements, and general topics relating to inclusion;
• Drafting of user-friendly background notes and information materials for internal and external use, relating to the protection of affected people;
• Supporting the Legal Protection team with the organization of capacity-building events and workshops;
• Other duties supporting the work of the Legal Protection team, as necessary.

Minimum qualifications required

In order to be considered for an internship, candidates must meet the following eligibility criteria:

• Be a recent graduate (having completed their studies within two years of applying) from a university or higher education facility accredited by IAU/UNESCO; and

Desirable qualifications and skills
• The successful candidate will be a recent graduate in the field of law, or political science, or international relations, with a specialization on international law, humanitarian law, human rights or refugee law. Experience in the field of migration and asylum is an asset. Knowledge of Hungarian language and high-level command of English (C1 or above) are required. Knowledge of Ukrainian and/or Russian language is an asset.
• Computer literacy: Word, Excel, PowerPoint.
• Good analytical skills and a high level of precision and attention to detail are essential.
• Good communication and coordination skills.
• The ideal candidate will be a dynamic team-player with a “can do” attitude and a growth mindset.
• They will have integrity and the ability to perform their duties in immanent alignment with the UNHCR Code of Conduct and the core values of UNHCR.

Conditions

It is a full-time role with working hours starting from 9.00am to 5:30pm Monday to Friday (40 hours per week). The successful candidate will be assigned to support the Legal Protection team at the UNHCR office in Budapest (1137 Budapest, Népfürdő utca 22.). Please note that UNHCR Representation for Central Europe works in the office full-time.

Allowance: Interns who do not receive financial support from an outside party will receive an allowance to partially help to cover the cost of food, local transportation and living expenses.

Recruitment as a UNHCR staff member and engagement under a UNHCR affiliate scheme or as an intern is subject to proof of full vaccination, independently of contract type and duration, unless the candidate is based in a location with documented lack of access to COVID-19 vaccines

 

Standard Job Description

Required Languages

Hungarian

,

English

Desired Languages

Russian

,

Ukrainian

Additional Qualifications

Skills

Education

Certifications

Other information

This position doesn't require a functional clearance