Interpreters Training, October 2010

Goal

Asylum seekers, Refugees and IDPs access legal rights, justice and live in dignity

Strategic objective

Enhance displaced person’s access to legal justice and psychosocial support

Objectives

1. To increase access to legal justice for asylum seekers and refugees through provision of legal aid and capacity building
2. To improve access to counseling and psycho-social services to vulnerable asylum seekers and refugees
3. To improve  legal protection and psychosocial support to IDPs in Molo

1. Legal aid clinic Nairobi

RCK holds a legal aid and counseling clinic for refugees and asylum seekers on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays in Nairobi. Tuesdays are set aside for women and children. The clinic attends to an average of 20 clients per day. However, in cases where there are urgent cases (medical, security), elderly, women with children, unaccompanied minors, the clinic will register and attend to them on the same day if possible. Thursdays are set aside for security and refugee status determination (RSD) interviews. Friday is set aside for follow up of cases and other programme work.

Registration process

RCK carries out registration of refugees every 3 months where refugees visit RCK offices in Nairobi and are issued appointment slips stating the date when they will be attend to.

Those who have urgent security cases are seen without necessarily having appointment slips.

2. Legal aid clinic Dadaab

RCK holds a legal aid clinic for refugees and asylum seekers on the different camps on different days of the week. Mondays in Hagadera camp, Wednesdays in Ifo and Thursdays in Dagahaley. Tuesdays and Fridays are set aside for follow up of cases and other programme work in the office, although refugees and asylum seekers who come on those days are attended to.

3. Legal aid clinic Kakuma

RCK holds a legal aid clinic for refugees and asylum seekers from Monday to Thursdays. Occasionally officers do trainings in the camps. 

Legal aid activities

1. Advising clients with legal problems
2. Representation during RSD process
3. Assisting rejected clients on RSD appeals
4. Providing legal intervention for clients at police stations and prisons
5. Providing legal representation for asylum related, SGBV and child protection cases
6. Training refugee women on self-representation and preservation of evidence
7. Referrals to organizations that provide social assistance such as food, medical, education and shelter
8. Information on services provided to refugees and asylum seekers in Kenya by other organizations
9. Providing information on the Government of Kenya's policies regarding refugees and asylum seekers
10. Advice on UNHCR procedures for asylum seekers and refugees
11. Undertaking public interest litigation aimed at setting precedence on certain asylum related offences including on the right to seek asylum and the principle of non refoulement
12. Provide counselling services to traumatized SGBV- survivors and those requiring specialized support are referred to experts in this area
13. Peace-building activities with communities in Molo