What We Do
Legal Assistance and Information for Refugees and Their Advocates
Photo Credits: Mahmoud Bitar, Andrew Neymarc, Dina Haynes
Recent crises have found lawyers and policy makers around the world unprepared. From family separation and border tensions, to Afghanistan and Ukraine, we aim to hit the ground ready to assist. Refugee Projects brings our cadre of legal expertise to the immediate and longer term assistance of refugees in need. Our three pillar focus is:
-
Representing and providing direct legal assistance and support to refugees
-
Supporting, advising and helping to sustain pro bono refugee and asylum advocates
-
Guiding donors towards ethical, competent organizations with bona fide expertise
Holistic responses like those of Refugee Projects can mean the difference between life and death for refugees. Learn more about some of our projects below.
Providing Direct Legal Assistance for Refugees
Direct legal assistance for refugees and asylum seekers is crucial -- it can mean the difference between an 80% likelihood of success versus a 2% success rate in life or death circumstances. Yet it is the most often overlooked and underfunded area of humanitarian assistance.
Toward the objective of providing direct legal assistance for refugees, since our founding just more than a year ago, Refugee Projects has:
-
Provided interpreters for 32 immigration cases
-
Coordinated the reunion of 10 separated families
-
Written expert affidavits for 4 complex asylum cases
-
Secured asylum for 1 individual from Afghanistan
-
Funded the relocation of 1 family
-
Funded medical care for 1 vulnerable child
-
Secured protection for 1 LGBTQIA+ individual
In the U.S., around 1,000 immigration lawyers complete all of the emergency humanitarian relief work in the country. Despite their best efforts, these attorneys are stressed out, burnt out, and in some cases are leaving the profession faster than they are being replaced. Refugee Projects provides legal training on the complex laws pertaining to asylum claims and refugee protection and related immigration issues – both to lighten the load of existing immigration attorneys as well as to recruit more attorneys to help take on this vital work.
Toward that goal, in a little over a year since our founding, Refugee Projects has:
-
Coordinated 800 pro bono immigration attorneys
-
Provided legal advice to 45 attorneys
-
Paid filing fees for 12 immigration attorneys
-
Provided training to 10 U.S. government agencies
-
Provided asylum training at 8 legal clinics
-
Given legal and policy advice to 7 U.S. government agencies
-
Advised government officials in 5 countries
Supporting and Sustaining Pro Bono Refugee and Asylum Advocates
Guiding Donors Towards Ethical Organizations
In the humanitarian world, expertise is often incredibly undervalued by the public, the media and by donors. Donors are encouraged to give their money to organizations making big promises – in some cases, regardless of whether or not that organization has been verified or has the expertise to execute on its mission. We link donors with vetted organizations that provide legitimate holistic assistance, and we work collaboratively with our partner organizations to make sure the funds are used responsibly.
In a little more than a year since our initial founding, along with our partner organizations, Refugee Projects has:
-
Assisted 70 Haitian immigrants displaced by Texas Gov. Abbott
-
Assisted 40 Venezuelan immigrants displaced by Texas Gov Abbott
-
Funded 2 same-sex marriage cases involving transgender individuals
-
Funded 1 attorney supporting transgender migrants at the U.S./Mexico border
-
Trained 1 non-profit organization assisting migrant enter the EU
-
Engaged in advocacy and impact litigation to make better law and policy on issues impacting migrants