Protection Intern

Deadline for Applications
January 21, **
Hardship Level (not applicable for home-based)
A (least hardship)
Family Type (not applicable for home-based)
Family
Staff Member / Affiliate Type
Fellow
Target Start Date
**
Terms of Reference
UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is offering a full-time internship with the Protection Unit at UNHCR Brazil.
Established in December , 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.
Internship Location: Brasília, Brazil (with possibility to work remotely)
Duration (length of internship): 5 months
Contract Type: Internship (Full-time)
Organizational context
The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) is an organization dedicated to saving lives, protecting the rights, and ensuring a dignified future for people who have been forced to leave their homes and communities due to war, armed conflict, persecution, or serious violations of human rights.
Present in 135 countries, UNHCR works together with national and local authorities, civil society organizations and the private sector to ensure that all refugees, internally displaced persons, and stateless persons find security and support to rebuild their lives.
Brazil hosts over 790,000 refugees and other people in need of international protection who enjoy the same rights and access to public services as nationals.
They also enjoy freedom of movement and can choose their place of residence.
The national legislation does not impose restrictions on refugees and asylum-seekers as to access to documentation, the right to work or engage in income-generating activities, or access to education.
However, despite progress, there are practical challenges hindering their access to rights and services, and obstacles preventing refugees from fully contributing to the Brazilian economy due to the limited capacity of local service-providers or status-specific barriers.
Since , Brazil has been actively supporting Venezuelan refugees and migrants through Operation Welcome, a federal initiative that provides high standards of assistance and protection.
This operation, with significant contributions from UNHCR, focuses on reception and documentation, shelter and humanitarian assistance, and internal voluntary relocation.
By May , over 148,000 Venezuelans had been relocated to around 1,000 municipalities across Brazil.
Indigenous peoples are among the most vulnerable refugees and migrants from Venezuela.
With the loss of their traditional livelihoods, over 12,800 indigenous peoples from Venezuela currently living in Brazil suffer high rates of food insecurity, have children out of school, and experience more discrimination than the rest of the Venezuelan population.
Additionally, language barriers, limited schooling and income-generation opportunities significantly affect their socio-economic inclusion.
Their sustainable transition out of emergency shelters and the promotion of their self-reliance, respecting of their socio-cultural patterns present challenges that require tailored interventions.
Brazil also saw an increase in the number of people of different nationalities (other than Venezuelans) entering the country, especially Afghan refugees in São Paulo.
Since the establishment of the humanitarian visa policy for Afghans in , over 13,100 visas were authorized and over 12,000 Afghans entered Brazil as of May .
In April the Ministry of Justice launched a community sponsorship program to receive, and support the integration of, Afghan refugees with the active support of UNHCR and other partners organizations.
Moreover, some 35,000 Cubans are registered in Brazil, more than half of them residing in Parana, Paraiba, Roraima and São Paulo, representing the biggest asylum seekers caseload in Brazil (in contrast, only 21,000 Venezuelans are still pending a decision over their asylum claim).
In **, Rio Grande do Sul in southern Brazil faced unprecedented heavy rainfall and extreme weather conditions lasting several weeks.
The ensuing floods devastated the entire region, affecting nearly 96 per cent of the state and affecting at least 43,000 refugees and people in need of international protection.
At the outbreak of the emergency, and in response to the request for assistance from the Government of Brazil, UNHCR immediately mobilized to support people affected by the climate disaster catering for their most urgent needs and helping rebuilding communities.
Finally, Brazil offers legal st