Thank you for your interest in volunteering with the Hong Kong Refugee Advice Centre Ltd. (“HKRAC”). HKRAC provides free legal advice and representation to asylum-seekers who seek refugee status with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (“UNHCR”) in Hong Kong. We also generate awareness regarding refugee rights and advocate for the protection and promotion of those rights.
In order to carry out our mission, we recruit, train, and supervise skilled volunteers to assist our organization’s work. There are many areas that you can get involved in to make the most of your experience and expertise. These include:
- Casework
- Interpretation
- Development & Fundraising
- Events Planning
- Press & Publicity
- Information Technology (IT)
Casework
Casework Volunteers are responsible for fielding our drop-in intake sessions, which are held every week on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 2-5pm. Intake sessions involve registering new asylum seekers, conducting intake questionnaires, providing general information regarding the UNHCR’s refugee status determination process and making referrals on behalf of asylum seekers.
Casework Volunteers are also responsible for conducting research on the asylum seeker’s country of origin and follow-up intakes to determine whether an asylum seeker meets the refugee definition and should be prioritized for HKRAC representation.
Casework Volunteers may provide full representation to clients. Full representation involves interviewing clients, conducting research, preparing a testimony and legal submission and attending UNHCR interviews.
Casework Volunteers must be able to commit for 5-10 hours a week for a minimum of 6 months and should have some weekday daytime availability. Preference will be given to those with a legal background and/or experience working with refugees or other vulnerable clients.
Compulsory Training
Attending an HKRAC training weekend is compulsory for volunteers interested in doing casework. Training weekends are held three times a year in January, May/June, and September. Please see our Training page for the upcoming training schedule.
Interpretation and Translation
Interpretation is critical to the work of our organization. We have represented speakers of 37 different languages. Finding skilled and available interpreters on a case-by-case basis will always remain a challenge. We organize regular community interpretation training sessions for providing interpretation services for refugee legal aid. Thanks to successful fundraising we are able to pay interpreters a modest hourly rate. However, we also welcome volunteers who are willing to contribute their time to interpretation and translation on a pro bono basis. Please see our Interpreters page for current language needs. Let us know if you are interested in being an interpreter or know of anyone who might be willing to help.
Development & Fundraising
Development & Fundraising Volunteers work closely with the Executive Director and Development Officer on all HKRAC development-related activities. These include fundraising strategies, capacity building, strategic development, donor relations, events planning and networking.
Press & Publicity Committee
Press & Publicity Volunteers will develop and promote the organization’s brand. This will include creating promotional materials and fact sheets, building up press contacts and creating press packets, and raising awareness about the rights and needs of refugees.
Information Technology (IT)
IT Volunteers will help HKRAC leverage its technology. They will also assist the organization in network and website development and maintenance.