Associate RSD Officer (Registration)

Associate RSD Officer (Registration)

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT:
Under the supervision of the Refugee Status Determination (RSD) Officer, the Associate RSD Officer (Registration) will work in the RSD Unit providing support to registration and RSD activities. UNHCR Turkey conducts mandate refugee status determination for non-European asylum-seekers to identify those in need of international protection, and ultimately, in need of resettlement as a durable solution.  This is because Turkey has acceded to the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol, but has maintained the optional geographical limitation.  Under the relevant Turkish regulations, refugees fearing persecution based on events occurring in Europe may enjoy Convention status and asylum in Turkey until conditions permit their repatriation or they satisfy the conditions for local integration but non-European asylum-seekers fall outside the Convention framework and their claims refugee status are assessed by UNHCR.  Non-European asylum-seekers have no local integration option in Turkey and the lack of fundamental changes in the main countries of origin - Iraq, and Iran - continues to make voluntary repatriation impossible for most refugees. Resettlement programs offered by the major resettlement countries are essential to meet critical protection needs and identify durable solutions on behalf of mandate refugees in Turkey. Registration activities in Turkey directly support the RSD process as the registration interview forms the first step in the status determination process. For Iraqis, status determination is carried out for 80% of the caseload at the registration stage through enhanced registration/prima facie recognition. The Assoc. RSD Officer (Registration) will directly supervise the team of Registration Assistants. The Assoc. RSD Officer (Registration) will ensure that UNHCR's registration procedures meet UNHCR standards, and that the information gathered during registration interviews is comprehensive and reliable in order to ensure the accurate identification of individual protection needs, as well as the examination of credibility and detection of fraud in the RSD and RST procedures.

FUNCTIONAL STATEMENT:

Accountability:
UNHCR's policies, standards and doctrine are consistently and coherently applied across the country ensure quality protection for all populations of concern.

Responsibility:
-  Coordinate and supervise Registration and Enhanced Registration (Prima Facie) activities.
-  Conduct refugee status determination interviews, draft legal assessments and make recommendations on refugee status, in accordance with UNHCR guidelines and procedural standards.
-  Monitor registration and first instance RSD interviews and review RSD applications and first instance recommendations on refugee status.
-  Provide RSD counselling to refugees, inform and act upon reports received from refugees within the refugee community or from the local authorities, and follow up on protection issues with the authorities concerned, including court cases concerning refugees.
-  Conduct researches (on country of origin and legal issues), manage and improve the country of origin knowledge base, report on general trends in the relevant countries of origin and reply to queries on specific legal and protection issues, while referring to the supervisor or seeking for advice on more complex issues. 
-  Assist in training and coaching the staff, and in building the capacity of the authorities to conduct RSD and provide effective protection.
-  Promote and monitor the application of standard operating procedures for registration and RSD, providing advice, guidance and support.
-  Coordinate, in close coordination with the Global Learning Centre, the delivery of protection staff training activities.
-  Ensure adequate reporting on registration, RSD and protection issues.
-  Perform other duties as required.

Authority:
-  Enforce compliance with UNHCR's global protection policies and standards.
-  Enforce compliance with UNHCR's registration and RSD standard operating procedures, in accordance with operational needs and context.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS AND PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE REQUIRED
University Degree in either Law, Political sciences or International Relations.
Minimum 4 years (with BA) and a minimum of 2 years (with a Master) of relevant experience at professional level with a maximum of 2 years in international capacity.
Working experience in International Refugee Law, in counselling refugees/asylum seekers and in individual case management
Excellent spoken and written English and knowledge of another relevant UN language.
Computer literacy
Excellent research, writing and analytical skills.

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS & COMPETENCIES:
-  Practice at Bar Associations. Ability to deal with traumatized and vulnerable people.
-  Good team working skills and the ability to prioritize, work to deadlines and cope with stress and high volumes of work.
-  Completion of the UNHCR Protection Learning Programme and/or RSD/Resettlement Learning Programme.