Despite the closure of AMERA International, one of the organization’s most valuable resources for refugees, the Rights in Exile platform, will continue after NGO and law firm members of the Global Refugee Forum (GRF) Legal Community Pledge stepped up to save it. Now hosting NGO AsyLex is calling on the legal community to join forces and grow the platform further.
Founded in 2003 by a renowned anthropologist and refugee studies expert, the late Dr Barbara Harrel-Bond, AMERA International was a leader on strengthening legal aid for refugees worldwide. Sadly, due to challenges in accessing sufficient funding, AMERA announced its closure in March 2023. Among the organization’s programs advancing access to justice and strengthening legal aid services for refugees was the Rights in Exile platform.
The Rights in Exile platform consists of searchable databases of legal assistance , information and providers by country, support for asylum cases related to Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) and LGBTQI+ rights by country, self-help kits for asylum-seekers undergoing a Refugee Status Determination (RSD) process, and much more. Over ten years, the platform had become a point of reference globally for refugees and legal aid practitioners alike, and the prospect of its loss with the closure of AMERA International prompted the legal community to act to protect it.
AsyLex, a non-profit organization empowering asylum seekers worldwide with online legal guidance, is also a GRF Legal Community Pledge (the Pledge) Core Group member. In the spirit of the Pledge, which seeks to harness the expertise, passion, and influence of legal professionals worldwide to drive meaningful change for displaced people globally, AsyLex decided to take up the challenge of continuing and expanding the important work of the Rights in Exile platform.
Considering the significant challenge of taking over such a project within a limited time frame, resources and support had to be mobilized quickly. Law firms A&O Sherman, Herbert Smith Freehills, and Norton Rose Fulbright, all of whom are also members of the Pledge, along with users and supporters of the Rights in Exile platform, provided essential strategic support and financial resources to enable a smooth and successful project transition from AMERA International to AsyLex.
“This platform is a vital source of information for some of the most at-risk refugee and asylum seeker communities, whether they are yet to start on their migration journey or are in a third country trying to navigate its laws and customs,” said Andrew Barton, Pro Bono Counsel at Norton Rose Fulbright. “It is also a key source for many frontline advisors and enables network building between country of origin information experts, legal advisors and their clients, ensuring that LGBTQI+ migrants have everything needed to make their case for asylum.”
A vision for the future
The Pledge members now have a collective vision for the future of Rights in Exile that builds on partnership, knowledge sharing, and cooperation, elements at the heart of the Pledge, to create a collaborative management model for the platform. Their goals include informing asylum seekers and refugees of their rights, facilitating access to justice, and connecting asylum legal practitioners worldwide.
AsyLex now invites organizations, experts, and law firms from the refugee legal community to join forces in expanding the platform’s resources and reach. Join them to:
Lead research for the country databases:
If you specialize in providing legal assistance to asylum seekers and refugees and/or work with LGBTQI+ communities in a specific country or region, you can consider becoming a country/region specialist. The role would involve overseeing the general knowledge base or LGBTQI+ resources in-country, including reviewing the existing information and updating it when necessary, according to the country’s sociopolitical and legal developments, as well as ensuring its continuous delivery to AsyLex for incorporation into the platform.
Coordinate volunteers:
If you have deep expertise in a particular country or region, you can contribute by reviewing and verifying the work of RiE volunteers. Your guidance will help support them in their efforts and enhance the delivery of accurate vital information to refugees and asylum seekers.
Research-based collaboration:
Resources on the Rights in Exile platform cover a wide array of countries, thematic areas and issues. Pro bono teams can support the platform with legal research including asylum, national, international and/or multi-jurisdictional legal frameworks per country/region, as well as analysis of the impact certain laws or practices have on refugees and asylum-seekers
Become an Ambassador:
Help AsyLex expand their global network by connecting their team with your contacts who can contribute their knowledge, expertise or resources to support the sustainability and expansion of the platform.
Support the Project with funding and/or skills sharing:
To secure the platform’s long-term sustainability, Rights in Exile needs robust project management and funding for coordination roles and technical maintenance. If you or someone you know is interested in supporting the project financially or through project management, please reach out to them.
For more information and to get involved, get in touch with AsyLex’s Rights in Exile team at [email protected]. The platform is now accessible at www.rightsinexile.org or via www.asylex.org, and you can get the latest updates by following AsyLex on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, X, and YouTube.
The Legal Community Pledge, coordinated by PILnet with the support of a Core Group of NGOs, refugee-led organizations (RLOs) and law firms, remains open for signature. If you are interested in learning how you can join this growing community of legal actors working together to advance access to rights, justice and solutions for displaced people, reach out to us at [email protected] or learn more here.
