At Asylos, our volunteers are our greatest asset. With over 100 people in over 25 countries, we are uniquely placed to access remote information. We are a volunteer-driven organisation, and determined to foster community and collaboration across borders for the benefit of the most vulnerable.

In joining Asylos, you will be joining a network of dedicated and highly qualified researchers and legal experts around the world who come together to leverage their research skills for asylum. You will also have access to:

• An international team structure, with a regional specialty, led by an experienced and dedicated research coordinator

• A personalised Asylos email address, and our volunteer intranet, where you can collaborate, connect, and get to know other volunteers

• Funded travel to annual meetings in cities such as London, Berlin, Brussels, and Paris

• A member-led organisation, in which volunteers are provided with the room to take initiative and participate in new projects

• Regular training in COI research techniques, both established and innovative

To meet some of our current volunteers and hear what they have to say, take a look at the below video.

“I hope to represent people who belong to minority communities like mine through my COI research work and get hands on experience to learn and grow further in the field of refugee and asylum rights” - Rongpangmenla Longchar, Volunteer Researcher with the Asia Team

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current opportunities

We have just completed a new round of volunteer recruitment, but you are always welcome to submit a spontaneous application! 

We are always open to spontaneous applicants, who will then be considered first for the next round of recruitment - many of our volunteers have joined our network through this route.

The volunteer researcher will conduct research to support asylum seekers coming from the region that the volunteer specialises in. This entails looking into security situation, human rights violations and any other facts that will support an asylum seeker in proving his/her need for protection. The researcher will have to commit up to two hours per week and will work in close cooperation with the other team members and team coordinators, sharing best practices and feedback.

"During my time at Asylos, I hope the research I contribute to will help support the asylum claims of as many refugees as possible so that they can enjoy the same rights everyone is entitled to." - Joseph Blackmoore, Volunteer Coordinator with the Americas Team

Your profile:

• Strong research skills and an experience in academic research (or in country-of-origin information research)
• An interest in leveraging social media for research
• A willingness to use online collaboration tools
• A strong commitment to meet tight deadlines 
• At least three years of university‐level studies or equivalent professional experience; law, politics or international relations are excellent preparation. 
• Required skills matching one of the teams below:
• MENA Team:
  • A strong interest in the MENA region and preferably a network on the ground
  • Native level of English or French; preferably a good knowledge of the other
  • The ability to read and speak Arabic; knowledge of another national or minority language of the region will be an asset
• Africa Team:
  • A strong demonstrable interest in the sub-Saharan Africa region and preferably a network on the ground
  • Fluent in English or French with a high level of the other
  • Knowledge of another national or minority language of the region is an asset
• Russia/CIS:
  • A strong interest in the Russia/CIS region and possibly also a network on the ground
  • Very good knowledge of English and/or French (required)
  • The ability to read and speak Russian and/or another language of the CIS region (national but also minority languages of the region are a strong asset:
• Asia Team:
  
  • A strong interest in Asia and ideally a first-hand experience or a network in one of the countries, which could be mobilised for research.
  • Very good writing and communication skills in English or French. Ability to read or speak a language of one of those countries would be a strong asset. 
• Americas Team:
  • A strong interest in and knowledge of a specific region of the world; Central/South America is particularly welcome
  • Native or excellent level of English and (near) fluency in Spanish. One other European language is an asset, as are any languages native to the region.
  • Knowledge of another national or minority language of the region will be an asset

If you meet these requirements, we will hold your application on file and when one of our teams is in need of your skills we will get in touch to begin the application process. Please note that, due to limited capacity and a high volume of volunteer applications, it is very likely that your application is put on hold for several months before you may hear back from us. We particularly welcome applications from people of minority ethnic backgrounds, and those residing outside of the European Union.

The recruitment process requires approximately two to three months of at least two hours of your time per week. The process is as follows:

1. A recruitment video call with the team coordinators and/or head office staff to discuss your interest and relevant skills
2. Completion of our online internal Country of Origin Information (COI) training
3. Completion of a test case (approx. 5 weeks), working closely with one of the team's coordinators and, if satisfactory,
4. A final onboarding call with the team coordinators to welcome you to Asylos and discuss your involvement

What we offer:

• An opportunity to help change the lives of asylum seekers and get involved in a dynamic project with a small but fast-growing organisation
• An international network of highly qualified and motivated volunteers with meetings in London, Berlin, Brussels and Paris
• An inclusive working atmosphere with room for taking initiative and proposing new projects
• Training in using social media analysis and other research techniques
• Participation in Asylos’ annual network meeting

To apply, please send your CV and a short letter of motivation to [email protected].  

People with lived experience of the asylum system or from communities disproportionately impacted by the immigration system and/or structural racism are particularly encouraged to apply.

"the rights of refugees and asylum seekers are often overlooked or undervalued by policy-makers and politicians, which makes it that much more important for us as a community to support each other. I believe the world and the right to thrive within it belongs to us all; therefore, no person should be punished or persecuted for their nationality, religion, sexuality, gender identity" - Aleena Khan, volunteer researcher with the Asia Team

For more information on Asylos, visit our website www.asylos.eu, and follow us on Twitter (@asylos_) and Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/asylos.research).