Protection Intern

Hardship Level (not applicable for home-based)

H (no hardship)

Family

Internship

2024-05-06

April 17, 2024

Organizational context

Since the start of the international armed conflict in Ukraine which has forced some 5.9 million people to flee their homes seeking safety, protection, and assistance across Europe, more than 5.3 million border crossings from Ukraine and Moldova into Romania have been recorded. The Government and various stakeholders including civil society, the private sector, volunteers, and international organizations have responded to the crisis with generosity and hospitality.
As of 11th March 2024, 77,249 Ukrainian refugees remain in Romania. Among them, at the time of writing 155,301 individuals have been registered for Temporary Protection (TP) status. In addition, Romania registered 10,156 asylum applications in 2023, and is currently hosting around 4,600 beneficiaries of international protection and subsidiary protection, including nationals from Syria, Somalia, Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran, Ukraine, Yemen, Palestine, and some stateless persons.
UNHCR supports the Government of Romania overall response in coordinating humanitarian actors under the framework of the Regional Refugee Response (RRP) and through the Refugee Coordination Forum (RCF) and sector working groups. The RRP response is aligned with and complementary to the National Plan (NP) of measures for the protection and inclusion of displaced persons from Ukraine, beneficiaries of TP in Romania, a vision for the medium and long-term refugee response in Romania.
The UNHCR Field Office in Galati oversees around 5.290 refugees living in the following Counties: Galati, Braila, Tulcea, Bacau, Buzau and Vaslui. UNHCR’s work is guided by the International and National Laws and applicable UN/UNHCR and IASC policies, Protection procedures, and Codes of Conduct. Protection is one of the key priority areas for the country Programme refugee response in Romania.
The Field Office in Galati is in charge of several aspects of the protection response and humanitarian assistance that includes support asylum and refugee inclusion at local level, child protection, prevention and response to Gender-based violence, legal assistance, Community-based interventions and support persons with specific needs to meet their basic needs. It is also in charge of chairing coordination structures with the operational partners with the aim of strengthening the activities implemented by the humanitarian actors for prevention, identification, and response to protection concerns. The Field Unit is also actively engaged with the implementation of the Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse, and capacity-building activities.

The Protection Intern is a member of the protection team in Galati Field Office. S/he may report to the Associate Field Officer or the Head of Galati Field Office. UNHCR provides interns with a learning opportunity to gain knowledge and practical experience related to their academic programme or future work in a field related to UNHCR’s mandate. By being directly exposed to the work of the Organization, interns have the chance to develop their skills and aptitudes. Interns will have the opportunity to work in a multicultural setting and can work directly with partners and communities of refugee and stateless population.

The position

Under the direct supervision of the Associate Field Officer and in line with UNHCR standards, policies and operating procedures, the Protection intern will support the protection and field activities in the area of responsibility under the Galati Field Office. Having a legal knowledge and background is key for this internship as the intern will be required to support on community-based protection activities, assessing the protection needs of asylum seekers and refugees, research and analysis, socio-economic context and legal framework related forcibly displaced persons and stateless persons in Romania. Supporting events organization and translation will also be part of the protection intern’s responsibilities.

Duties and responsibilities

The Protection intern will work in the Protection Unit of UNHCR Representation in Romania, duty station Galati Field Office. In particular, s/he will contribute to the following tasks:
• Stay informed of developments European and International refugee and human rights law and relevant jurisprudence and reports and sharing relevant information with the Protection Unit and the Field office level.
• Assist with monitoring and producing summary information on the government policy and decisions affecting forcibly displaced persons and stateless persons in Romania.
• Support the supervisor with the translation of correspondences, texts, reports, and other relevant documents, between Romanian and English.
• Research, comprehensive and snap-shot analysis on various topics of protection interest (Borders, Asylum data and trends, Temporary Protection, Legal Protection, Community-based protection, UASC, socio-economic condition etc).
• Provide assistance with the scheduling and administrative tasks in preparation for activities including community-based protection activities, protection interviews and counselling with asylum seekers and refugees in and outside the UNHCR Galati Services Hub.
• Provide administrative and logistical support to the unit, including with organizing meetings events, visits and taking meeting notes.
• Perform any other duties as required.

Minimum qualifications required

In order to be considered for an internship, candidates must meet the following eligibility criteria:
• Be either a recent graduate (having completed their studies within two years of applying) or a current student in a graduate/undergraduate school programme from a university or higher education facility accredited by IAU/UNESCO; and
• Have completed at least two years of undergraduate studies in a field relevant or of interest to the work of UNHCR.

Desirable qualifications and skills
In order to be considered for this internship, the following criteria must be fulfilled:
• Proficiency in both Romania and English. Ability to translate documents accurately between the two languages.
• Good analytical skills with competencies in written and verbal communication
• Strong knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite, particularly Excel, Word, and PowerPoint. Ability to create, edit, and format documents and presentations.
• Ability to work collaboratively in a team environment.
• Self-motivated, positive attitude and willingness to learn.
• Interest in refugee and asylum-related issues, including international and EU norms and standards will be an added-value.

Conditions

It is a full-time role with working hours starting from 9.00am to 5:30pm Monday to Friday (40 hours per week) including 30 minutes break. The successful candidate will be assigned to support the team in Galati (Romania).
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.
Monthly allowance: approximately 2808 RON.

Recruitment as a UNHCR staff member and engagement under a UNHCR affiliate scheme or as an intern is subject to successful reference checks, and integrity clearances.
Candidates must be legally present in Romania at the time of application, recruitment and hire.
For further information on how to apply, please visit the ‘UNHCR – Application and Selection’ page, at https://www.unhcr.org/how-to-apply.html.
The recruitment process might include a written test and/or oral interview for this job opening. No late applications will be accepted.
UNHCR is committed to diversity and welcomes applications from qualified candidates regardless of disability, gender identity, marital or civil partnership status, race, colour or ethnic and national origins, religion or belief, or sexual orientation. UNHCR does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing, training or any other fees).
NOTE: An individual whose mother, father, son, daughter, brother or sister is a staff member of UNHCR, including a Temporary Appointment holder or a member of Affiliate Workforce, is not eligible to apply.

 

Standard Job Description

Required Languages

English

,

Romanian

,

Desired Languages

,

,

Additional Qualifications

Skills

Education

Certifications

Other information

This position doesn’t require a functional clearance

Home-Based

No