Refugee Legal Support

Today, we’ve published the latest edition of our Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) Self-Help Guide! This guide has been developed as part of the Afghan Pro Bono Initiative (APBI), which RLS delivers in partnership with Safe Passage and our partner law firms. ARAP is one of the resettlement schemes available to Afghans who are trying to find safety in the UK. The application process can be difficult to navigate without legal support. This guide builds on the feedback and recommendations from Afghan community members who reviewed the first edition, published in February 2023. It’s a comprehensive toolkit, designed to support eligible Afghans to apply for resettlement under the ARAP scheme, or seek review for their refused application under the scheme. You can view the guide on our website now: https://buff.ly/49fYwKc It’s available in English, Dari and Pashto.

Today, we’re launching our new Winter appeal. For many, December is a time of joy and celebration with loved ones. But for many, it’s a painful reminder of those who are missing. People fleeing conflict, persecution, and violence endure unimaginable hardship. They’re forced to leave their homes, communities, and families behind in search of safety. When starting a new life, the presence of family is essential. However, thanks to the chaos of fleeing home and inhumane legal systems, many are left alone, with loved ones stuck in danger, thousands of miles away. That’s why we’re launching our urgent Winter funding appeal today. Legal support is often the only way to reunite families, and help people on the move start rebuilding their lives. This Winter, we’re asking our supporters to help us raise £10,000 so that we can continue providing this vital service to people on the move in 2025. If you’re able to, please donate via our website: https://buff.ly/4f0qCus

🌟Two job opportunities at Refugee Legal Support 🌟 Our friends at Refugee Legal Support provide expert legal advice, information and casework to people seeking safety and family reunion. They have two openings in their team in London: ⭐ Executive Director The Executive Director will lead RLS through their next phase of development. This role uniquely combines strategic oversight with hands-on work, bridging urgent client needs with long-term systemic change. 🗓️ Apply by 6 January Find out more: https://lnkd.in/e7Hx58SU ⭐ Casework Supervisor The Casework Supervisor role is for an experienced Immigration and Public Law Solicitor. You’ll provide supervision and assist with the management of their developing and expanding UK casework teams, whilst working on a small, targeted caseload of your own. 🗓️ Apply by 9 December Find out more: https://lnkd.in/eCJKtCDZ

📣We’re recruiting! 📣 RLS is looking for an Executive Director to join our team in London. This role uniquely combines strategic oversight with hands-on work, bridging urgent client needs with long-term systemic change. You’ll be overseeing key areas such as organisational development, strategic planning, fundraising, robust financial planning, risk management, staff well-being and external relations. If you’re a leader who is passionate about migrant justice and equity, please get in touch! You can find the full job description on our website: https://buff.ly/3Z4Iuyi

📣We’re recruiting! 📣 RLS is looking for an experienced solicitor to join our team in London as a Casework Supervisor. You’ll be providing supervision and assisting with the management of our developing UK casework teams, whilst working on a small targeted caseload of your own. If you’re interested in working in a collaborative environment with colleagues who share the same commitment to advancing migrant justice, this could be the role for you! You can find the full job description on our website: https://buff.ly/4hIRPEb Please get in touch with any questions.

As pro bono week comes to end, we wanted to share another powerful pro bono partnership. Our Family Reunion from Europe project focuses on family reunion applications for applicants based in Europe and its borders post Brexit. In collaboration with dedicated law firms, we’re able to provide initial consultations and support for those navigating complex family applications and appeals. These individuals might otherwise have no access to legal guidance. Thanks to the support of our pro bono partners, we’re able to help even more people reunite with their loved ones. #ProBonoWeek

Last week, we shared our new report, “Still Waiting: The Afghans Abandoned by the UK.” We have now published five one-pager summaries of the key information from the report. This includes a summary of the impact of the Afghan Pro Bono Initiative; an overview of the Focus Group Discussion; emerging trends in Family Reunion; and emerging trends in the Afghan Citizens’ Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) and Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP). These are available on our website: https://buff.ly/40lwjPT

🎉Celebrating Pro Bono Week 2024 🎉 This week, we’re highlighting some of the enriching pro bono partnerships that help us make a difference to the lives of those seeking sanctuary. One of our key projects, the Afghan Pro Bono Initiative, is delivered in partnership with Safe Passage International and 14 leading law firms. It provides access to crucial legal information, advice and representation concerning safe routes to the UK for Afghan nationals and their families. Since March 2022, 218 Afghans have benefitted from legal representation. From August 2023 - August 2024 alone, over 900 Afghan individuals were supported with their inquiries. Volunteer lawyers have been instrumental in providing essential support to the project, its clients, and the community as a whole. Our new report, “Still Waiting” was made possible thanks to the dedication of the volunteer lawyers from our law firm partners. Special thanks to lawyers from A&O Shearman and Mayer Brown International LLP. Pro bono partnerships expand our reach and impact, meaning we can support even more individuals seeking safety. Thank you to all our partners. #ProBonoWeek

“Still Waiting: The Afghans Abandoned by the UK” sheds light on the unfulfilled promises and bureaucratic hurdles that have left so many Afghans in vulnerable positions. Today, we’re launching our new report as part of the Afghan Pro Bono Initiative (APBI), in partnership with Safe Passage and our law firm partners. The report is the output of research conducted with members of the Afghan community. We’re calling on policymakers to act swiftly to implement the recommendations within this report. “In reading this report, I urge you to reflect on the human cost of inaction and the vital importance of meaningful change. For every Afghan left behind, there is a story of loss, resilience, and a search for hope. It is within our power to ensure this hope is realised.” - Shamim Sarabi, Community Engagement and Research Lead of APBI Project Read the full report on our website: https://buff.ly/40lwjPT

Climate breakdown and forced migration are closely linked. RLS is at the start of its journey considering what this means for our work. We’ve recently established a Climate Emergency Working Group to bring together RLS colleagues and trustees. The group is chaired by external expert, Emily Rowe, a human rights lawyer with a particular interest in the asylum/climate intersection. The RLS Climate Emergency Working Group meets regularly to develop our understanding of the connection between climate breakdown and migration. They explore how this impacts the work that we do now, and in the future. Climate displacement is on the rise, and is set to be one of the biggest challenges of our era. We’ll continue sharing updates from the Climate Emergency Working Group as we make progress in addressing this important issue for people on the move. Read more on our website: https://buff.ly/3YyS39J Photo credit: bookerphotos