Refugee Protection

Now having been in Washington D.C. for a few weeks, I have settled into my internship with Human Rights First. Although I am mainly working with the office's Communications Director, I have had the opportunity to work with other Human Rights First programs, specifically the Refugee Protection Program. The office works with people who are seeking political asylum - those who leave their home country for fear of persecution or violence. When the Refugee Program is evaluating whether or not it will be able to take someone's case and find them a lawyer, they do an 'intake.' This process involves meeting with the client and having the person tell their story of why they are fleeing their country and seeking refuge in the United States. I was able to help with one of these intakes because the speaker was from Cote d'Ivoire, and with my major and back ground in French, I was able to help with the translation of his story. This was a great opportunity for me to apply what I have learned in the classroom to my internship and job skills. Also, Human Rights First has been commemorating the 30th anniversary of the passage of the Refugee Protection Act of 1980 which established uniform refugee eligibility and eliminated the biases that had dominated prior laws. However, Senator Leahy (D-VT) has introduced new legislation, the Refugee Protection Act of 2010, that would make several changes to existing legislation, trying to ensure that innocent people are not unfairly denied access to the United States by laws enacted after September 11, 2001, while always ensuring that provisions are in place to prevent terrorists from manipulating the immigration system. Overall, my internship has already provided me with great opportunities.
-LJB