Teams

Refugee Status Determination Team

This team provides assistance by preparing testimonies and legal arguments for asylum seekers who are interviewing for refugee status at UNHCR for the first time. The team also assists with appeals if the asylum seeker is rejected. Based upon criteria regarding either particular vulnerabilities of the asylum seeker or difficult legal issues in the claim, the legal advisor either recommends the case for immediate submission to the UNHCR or for representation by AMERA-Egypt. The team also coordinates developing legal submissions and research on behalf of distinct groups of refugees such as groups who are linguistically and socially isolated in Egypt and groups who are facing security problems.

Protection and Registration Team

This team is responsible for addressing issues related to the legal protection of refugees and asylum seekers; registration with the UNHCR; documentation of marriage, divorce, and births; verifying identity documents; detention; and security concerns. This team fields requests for assistance in these areas and advocates on behalf of asylum seekers and refugees before international organisations, the Egyptian government and local institutions. This team also refers protection and security cases for urgent resettlement when appropriate.

SGBV Team

The GBV team coordinates the legal and psychosocial needs of asylum seekers involving gender-based violence (GBV). It participates on GBV committees at the UNHCR as well as community projects designed to prevent and appropriately respond to GBV. The team trains other NGOs, and community interpreters on gender issues in the refugee communities, and updates the database with current legal and country of origin information pertaining to GBV and other gender-related issues in refugee contexts. This team also coordinates referrals of GBV cases for urgent resettlement when appropriate.

Unaccompanied Minors Team

This team coordinates work on cases involving unaccompanied refugee children and asylum seekers; participates on the Best Interests of the Child Determination Committee at the UNHCR; liaises with other NGOs and institutions advocating for the protection and social welfare of unaccompanied refugee and asylum seeking children; provides training to staff, other NGOs, and community interpreters on issues pertaining to unaccompanied refugee children; and updates the database with current legal and country of origin information relevant to minors’ issues.

The team also actively advocates for increased refugee access to primary and secondary education through negotiations with the government, schools, and institutions. The team develops test cases for setting precedents, conducts research on access issues in Egypt, and the registration of unaccompanied minors in refugee community schools.

Community Networking and Outreach Team

This team collaborates with refugee community associations, other NGOs and institutions to provide legal advice clinics in off-site locations. The team strives to have an active presence in the communities where refugees reside in order to be regularly accessible and to establish a firm understanding of the issues and concerns facing the refugee communities at large. This team also plays an active role in reaching out to the most vulnerable of clients, those who otherwise would have no knowledge of or access to AMERA's services. The team also participates in community leaders meetings and in the AMERA-Egypt Community Advisory Board.

Psychosocial Team

The psychosocial team is responsible for providing psychosocial support and connecting asylum seekers and refugees to community support services during and after the preparation of their legal submissions and testimonies. The psychosocial workers work with asylum seekers and refugees to help them find the emotional strength required to reveal sensitive information about their experiences with torture, sexual assault, and detention. This team also coordinates medical and psychological reports for asylum seekers and refugees who require such to either substantiate their claims or to fast-track their refugee status process. Moreover, they write psychological assessments as required by legal advisors and/or UNHCR.

In addition, the team coordinates all case work in order to advocate for increasing refugee access to health care in Egypt. The team manages communications and recruits a pool of local doctors who assist with access to health care issues. It also refers HIV cases for resettlement as appropriate.