National Consultant on Refugee and Migration Law (40-day home-based assignment)

Consultant Programme & Policy

Contract

This is a Consultancy contract. More about Consultancy contracts.

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, PROTECTION.

Since the escalation of the conflict on 24 February 2022, there have been approximately 9 million border crossings from Ukraine into Poland. In total, over 1.7 million refugees from Ukraine registered for temporary protection in Poland, majority of them women and children. As of May 2024, there are over 950,000 refugees with active PESEL registration in the country. The UNICEF Refugee Response Office (RRO) in Poland was established as early as in March 2022, to support families and children displaced by the war and to ensure refugee children have access to essential services, including quality care, health and education. In accordance with the core commitments for children, strengthening child protection systems has been an important part of UNICEFs response to the Ukrainian refugee crisis. Working in close collaboration with the Government, Municipalities and CSOs, UNICEF RRO in Poland has taken measures to address gaps and strengthen the capacity of the national child protection system to respond to the needs of refugee and host community children and to protect them from violence, exploitation, and abuse.

Poland also faces another humanitarian crisis since 2021 – on its second eastern border, the border with Belarus. As reported by the independent civil society organizations, there are severe breaches of the international human rights concerning refugees crossing or trying to cross this border. Additionally, in May 2024 the new EU Pact on Migration and Asylum was adopted, which will surely influence the role of Poland governing and securing European external border and subsequently – influence the rights and situation of the refugees trying to get access to the Polish territory. The Polish government prepares and develops new strategies and legal acts to respond to the ongoing migration crisis (ongoing work on Migration Policy for 2025-2030, legislative procedure on Act on Foreigners). Additionally, in

May 2024 new legal provisions were adopted, introducing serious changes to support for Ukrainian citizens, which will also influence the situation of the most vulnerable groups, including children.

How can you make a difference?

To contribute to this work and to ensure the proper response of RRO in Poland to the ongoing migration issues and problems, RRO is hiring an experienced child protection consultant, with an in-depth practical and technical knowledge of migration and refugee law (Polish, international and European) and case-law of Polish and international/European courts.

SCOPE OF WORK:

• Analyze the regulations of the Pact on Migration and Asylum from child rights and human rights perspective and analyze its consequences for migrant or refugee children, their families, other vulnerable groups in Poland and prepare the written report on the outcomes of this analysis.
• Analyze the legal situation, the role of the involved authorities (local, regional, country-level) and available support for the children and families staying in the accommodation centers for migrants or refugees (reception centers, shelter for Ukrainian citizens, open camps for other migrants and refuges etc) in Poland and prepare a report on the outcomes of this analysis including child rights and human rights perspective.
• Prepare an analytical report on the detention of children and their families for migration reasons in Poland, including data on detention, Polish law and policies, European and international regulations, case-law of Polish and international and European courts, and recommendations for change.
• Obtain relevant data on issues connected with refugee children in Poland, including children in detention, (e.g. by the preparation of relevant applications for receiving public information).
• Propose, develop, or review the agenda and materials of capacity building activities concerning migration and refugee issues for judges, prosecutors, officers of the Border Guard, Police or other institutions or professionals.
• Propose, develop, or review the information, leaflets, and other types of informative materials on prevention of risks associated with migration such as human trafficking, the exploitation of children for sexual purposes.
• Develop draft advocacy letters concerning ongoing or planned amendments or developments of policies, laws, regulations concerning migration and refugee law, Special Act on support for citizens of Ukraine in connection with the armed conflict on the territory of that country and other relevant documents.

Please see the full Terms of Reference: Terms of Reference - Migration Law Consultant.docx

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

• An advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in a relevant area; specifically in Law.
• A minimum of six years relevant professional experience in migration and refugee law, including providing legal consultations for migrants and refugees.
• Demonstrated experience in preparation of legal analysis, developing reports and preparation of advocacy letters.
• Demonstrated work experience in the area of international protection, detention for migration reasons, protection of vulnerable groups, including children (highly desirable).
• Demonstrated knowledge in the field of child rights, and human rights.
• Knowledge of the Polish legal system and international and European acts concerning migrants and refugees.
• Demonstrated work experience in working with a range of stakeholders including governmental partners and public agencies.
• Demonstrated experience in providing trainings or workshops on migration law (highly desirable).
• Excellent analytical and writing skills.
• Fluency in Polish and English (oral and written).

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS).

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants/individual contractors with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the selection process and afterwards in your assignment.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

Remarks:

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures, and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws.

The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts.

Applicants are required to include in their applications a financial proposal which includes a lumpsum amount for consultancy fees, local transportation and other miscellaneous costs. Breakdown or details of the fee will be much appreciated.

Apply now

Added 5 hours ago - Updated 5 hours ago - Source: unicef.org