Protection Assistant, UNOPS (2 Positions, re-advertisement), Tapachula, Mexico 260 views

Job Title: Protection Assistant, UNOPS (2 Positions, re-advertisement)

Vacancy Notice: VN-232-19-MEX

Position Number

Location: Tapachula

Position Grade: Individual Contractor UNOPS, LICA 4

Closing Date: 2019-12-22

Organizational Context

Within the 10-Point Plan in action for Refugee Protection and Mixed Migration, the activities of UNHCR in Chiapas consist of providing legal and basic material assistance and information to refugees and asylum-seekers, promote refugee local integration, promote the access to a fair and efficient refugee status determination procedure and train governmental staff and civil society in International Refugee Law.

The presence of UNHCR in Tapachula, Chiapas is of key importance given the office’s important location close to the southern border of Mexico. This 654 square kilometres border with Guatemala is the entrance of hundreds of thousands of undocumented migrants to Mexico, and among them there is a significant number of people in need of international protection, including highly vulnerable cases such as unaccompanied children and victims of human trafficking. UNHCR presence ensures refugee identification within migratory flows and their access to a fair and efficient RSD procedure, and also preventing refoulement.

In close collaboration with its governmental counterpart -the Mexican Commission of Refugee Aid (COMAR)-, UNHCR looks to strengthen the protection framework in the southeast border area, and monitors the refugee status determination procedure carried out by COMAR, making sure to identify people in need of international protection in order to provide them with information regarding their right to seek asylum, and the procedure in Mexico. UNHCR also intervenes with local authorities in topics such as non-refoulment, expulsion and arbitrary detention of asylum-seekers and refugees. In order to ensure the identification of PoC, the protection networks within relevant sectors of civil society is enhanced and fostered. In addition, UNHCR provides assistance to Persons of concern to UNHCR if this is not covered by the authorities

UNHCR provides frequently trainings, workshops and technical advice to the National Migration Institute (INM), the COMAR, civil society organizations and to other relevant governmental actors such as the National Commission of Human Rights (CNDH), among others.

Accountability

• Conduct tasks related to protection assessment of PoC. Refer the cases to the appropriate services provided by the government as well as partner agencies. Follow-up on the most vulnerable cases in order to ensure the protection responses (including the assessment of internal relocation of cases within Chiapas and to other States).
• Implement the appropriate use of UNHCR database (e.g. ProGres) to ensure the follow-up of cases and statistics.
• Provide asylum seekers continued information and guidance regarding the legal procedure for asylum in Mexico, including the necessary information and guidance regarding the appeal procedure for those asylum-seekers who want to exercise this, in the area of intervention of SOTAP.
• Monitoring of migrant detention centers located in the geographical coverage area of UNHCRs� field office Tapachula, for the identification of people in need of international protection and to provide them information. Also, identify cases and promote and follow up it for alternatives to detention. Collect and analyse all the information related to monitoring of detention centers.
• In coordination with the Field Unit, conduct field and border monitoring with special emphasis on the migrant shelters.
• Maintain protection presence and promote confidence building through regular field missions and reports, making direct contact with persons of concern, host communities, local authorities and partners.
• Supports the identification of cases that could participate in the public information initiatives. Collect information for protection screening of these cases.
• Assist the Protection Unit in the delivery of trainings regarding international refugee law to government officials, NGOs, and civil society to contribute to their capacity building to better identify, inform and channel potential asylum-seekers as requested.
• Contribute to the preparation and provide inputs for the reports on persons of concern and of the office activities.
• Support the delivery of the humanitarian assistance program as required by her supervisor Urban monitoring in Tapachula when required by her supervisor.
• Carry out any other duties as required in the SubOffice.

Responsibility

• More people of concern to UNHCR detected and assisted in the migration detention centre.

All cases that need follow up are provided the appropriate assistance based on their profiles and specific needs.Good coordination amongst the actors which provide assistance to PoC is provided.Asylum-seekers, refugees, and migrants properly informed regarding their rights and obligations, and all given cases receive thorough follow-up.Strengthened capacity-building of actors -governmental, NGOs, civil society- working with asylum-seekers, refugees, and migrants to better detect and inform potential asylum seekers.More people of concern beneficiaries of alternatives to detention.Identification of trends and PoC as part of field and border monitoring.Mass information actions implemented and monitored.

Essential Minimum Qualifications and Experience

• Completion of Secondary education or equivalent technical in law or Social Science studies.
• Minimum 3 years’ experience related to the above description of activities.

Desirable Qualifications & Competencies

Competencies

• Be proactive, and possess a sense of urgency.
• Good knowledge of English.
• Demonstrated communication skills, and team work-oriented.
• Demonstrated ability to work in an international, and multicultural environment.
• Demonstrated ability when working with PoC to be assertive, to demonstrate sensitivity, and to make good and quick decisions.
• Demonstrated ability to work in stressful, and demanding situations with difficult PoC cases.
• Demonstrated ability to manage, and follow-through complex PoC cases.
• Demonstrated ability to deliver presentations in public settings.
• Demonstrated ability to manage confidential information in a professional manner.
• Demonstrated ability of time management, and work organization skills.
• Demonstrated ability to work with little guidance.
• Demonstrated ability to interact with several governmental, non-governmental, and other actors in order to ensure good collaboration among all.
• MS Office excellent knowledge and management.