September 2010 Training Weekend for Refugee Caseworkers

September 2010 Refugee Legal Aid Training

September 18-19, 2010

Location: Latham & Watkins

41/F, One Exchange Square, 8 Connaught Place, Central

Time: TBA

Deadline for receipt of applications : September 3, 2010

CPD CREDIT AVAILABLE

This intensive training weekend will provide a comprehensive overview in international refugee law and ethics for representation before UNHCR’s Refugee Status Determination Procedures in Hong Kong.

It is open to current volunteers and a number of places are reserved for those who seek to volunteer with the Hong Kong Refugee Advice Centre. In order to participate in the training, we ask for a commitment of 5-10 hours per week for a 6 month term. Since our cases operate on 3-month cycles, this will allow you to participate in at least 2 cases.

For lawyers coming from HKRAC partnering law firms, this commitment requirement is waived due to our individual partnering agreements.

To apply for a place please email a C.V. and Statement of Interest to info@hkrac.org. Please include relevant language skills, experience and Hong Kong immigration status.

JUNE 2007 TRAINING:

Our first training session took place June 8-10th, 2007 at Hong Kong University. The Centre for Comparative and Public Law generously supported this training initiative by providing space and logistical support. 5 full-time summer law student interns and 13 part-time volunteers took part.

Our Schedule covered practical aspects of representing asylum-seekers before UNHCR. This included an overview of international refugee law, sensitive statement-taking, crafting legal submissions, and supporting the objective basis of a claim through evidence such as country of origin information.

Guest speakers included Teddy Kwan, former UNHCR Refugee Status Determination (“RSD”) Officer, who spoke about the RSD process. Mark Daly from Barnes & Daly gave an overview of Hong Kong law as it relates to asylum-seekers and Convention Against Torture (“CAT”) claimants. Kelley Loper from Hong Kong University’s Law Faculty conducted a skills-based session on researching international human rights instruments. Wai Yang Ho, barrister and coordinator of Amnesty International Hong Kong’s Refugee Group conducted the session on researching objective evidence.