The history of granting asylum by foreign countries to those fleeing persecution and conflict has been has been common for thousands of years. Today, the world is witnessing the largest population displacement in history. At the end of 2018, UNHCR estimated that over 68 million people were forced to flee their homes as a result of conflict and persecution. Another 10 million stateless persons were denied citizenship and access to basic rights, such as education, health, employment, and freedom of movement.
The II Summer School on Refugees Law will be organized by the UNHCR Office in the Republic of Belarus together with the International Non-governmental Association for Scientific Research, Information and Educational Programmes "Evolutio" (the INA "Evolutio") in Minsk in order to attract the interest of law students to the issue of protection of refugees rights, as well as the training of young professionals who plan to continue to work in the field of protection of human rights and humanitarian issues.
The summer school will present an overview of international standards of legal protection of asylum-seekers and refugees, the specifics of the refugee status determination procedure in the Republic of Belarus and procedures in accordance with the UNHCR mandate and legal advice, and aspects of international and national regulation of statelessness.
Separate lectures will be given by UNHCR Office members, representatives of government agencies, NGOs and visiting lecturers from foreign universities. The Summer School will be held in an interactive format, which implies the active participation of students.
Requirements for the applicants: Students of law specialties of Belarusian universities.
Working languages: Russian and English (proficiency in English is required to understand lectures and participate in discussions)
Application process: The application must be completed online. Please note that the number of the participants is limited.
NB! Applications from participants of the I Summer School will not be considered.
Deadline for applications is May 25, 2019.
Decisions will be announced on June 25, 2019.
Costs: The organizers cover the following expenses: training materials, coffee breaks and lunches. Non-resident participants will have their travel costs reimbursed, as well as the organizers will cover food and accommodation.
