Paralegals for Protection: Immigration Detention
Community Paralegals
About Paralegals for Protection
Humanity Seekers, a refugee-led platform supported by Justice Centre Hong Kong, aims to empower refugee women to address the challenges of immigration detention. Five refugee women will be trained as Community Paralegals to provide legal knowledge and peer support to refugee and asylum-seeking communities. The training will provide the tools and skills they need to identify detention risks, understand legal protections, and support others in our communities.
About the Community Paralegals
Are you a woman who is currently seeking asylum or a refugee in Hong Kong?
Are you interested in learning about the law and how to protect your legal rights?
Do you have a passion for helping people in your community?
This is a new and exciting opportunity for five refugee women to step up to help your communities, while gaining legal knowledge and skills, and experience in community leadership and project design.
Here’s what you can expect from Paralegals for Protection!
- Participate in training sessions to gain legal knowledge on immigration detention, and tools and skills to provide peer support to your communities.
- Gain legal experience through mentorship with lawyers and legal professionals.
- Gain leadership experience through co-delivering community workshops.
- Work in partnership with each other, and Humanity Seekers and Justice Centre, to design a project to provide peer support for people at risk of immigration detention.
Community Paralegals will be expected to attend regular sessions from June through September 2025. The exact timetable is to be confirmed. We will aim to accommodate the schedule and commitments of the five selected participants.
A transport stipend will be provided. A certificate will be issued upon and subject to satisfactory completion of the programme.
Who can apply?
This is a pilot programme. The first cohort will be women only.
Requirements:
- Direct experience of being a refugee or asylum seeker in Hong Kong
- Ability to understand, read, and communicate in English
- Keen interest in social justice and legal rights
- Commitment to helping others and finding solutions
- Ability to work collaboratively with people from diverse backgrounds
- Commitment to attend and actively participate in training sessions, community workshops and co-design sessions.
In selecting participants, we will prioritise people who have been in the asylum system in Hong Kong for one year or more. We also aim to select a cohort that represents a diverse range of countries of origin.
Spaces are limited. You may be invited to a short interview after submitting your application.
How to apply?
To apply, complete the application form by 23 May 2025.
For any inquiries, further information, or to confirm your interest, please contact Aime Girimana via WhatsApp at +852 6575 2891.
About Humanity Seekers
Humanity Seekers is an initiative founded and led by a Core Group of refugees and asylum seekers in Hong Kong. We seek to offer a platform for refugees to take the lead in driving positive social impact for our community and Hong Kong society as a whole. We are supported by and work in partnership with Justice Centre.
About Justice Centre
Justice Centre is a non-profit organisation that provides legal and social services to refugees, asylum seekers and other displaced people in Hong Kong SAR. We work to support the vision of Hong Kong SAR as a welcoming and inclusive society. To learn more about Justice Centre and our mission, please visit our website at www.justicecentre.org.hk.
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