Deadline for ApplicationsOctober 22, 2025
Hardship Level (not applicable for home-based)A (least hardship)
Family Type (not applicable for home-based)
Family
Staff Member / Affiliate TypeInternship
Target Start Date2025-10-01
Terms of ReferencePosition title: Protection Intern
Duty station: UNHCR Office in Bangkok
Duration: Minimum 2 months and maximum 6 months
Period : From 1 October 2025 To 31 December 2025 (Extension is subject to fund availability and performance)
Tentative Starting date: As soon as possible
Direct Supervisor: Associate Protection Officer
Background information/Organizational Context
Thailand is not a signatory to the 1951 Convention/1967 Protocol relating to the Status of Refugees and does not have a domestic protection framework in place for asylum seekers and refugees. Consequently, urban refugees and asylum-seekers who reside outside of camps do not have a legal right to stay in Thailand are treated as illegal migrants, placing them at risk of arrest and detention.
In the absence of a national asylum system in Thailand, UNHCR Thailand, either directly or through partners, has provided protection services to urban refugees and asylum-seekers, including emergency health care, counselling, psychosocial support, education assistance, and financial or material aid, including for those in detention. Recent budget and staffing reductions have led to a scaling back or discontinuation of several of these services, limiting the support available to refugees and asylum-seekers.
Against this backdrop, the Protection Unit continues to prioritize emergency financial assistance for refugees with medical or protection needs, community-based protection through the Outreach Volunteer (OV) programme, education initiatives, and advocacy and capacity-building with government counterparts and partners.
The Protection Intern will play an important role in these efforts by supporting community-based protection initiatives and outreach through the OV program and by providing weekly protection counselling to refugees and asylum-seekers, facilitating referrals to appropriate services, maintaining case records through data entry and archiving, and strengthening communication with communities.
The Protection Intern is expected to work from the UNHCR office in Bangkok or other locations within Bangkok.
Duties and Responsibilities:
The candidate will be part of the Protection Unit, under the overall supervision of the Associate Protection Officer and direct supervision of the Senior Protection Assistant.
Primary scope of assignment:
• Support the weekly protection counselling to urban refugees and asylum-seekers, either remotely by telephone or in person at the Bangkok Refugee Centre, under the guidance of the Protection Unit;
• Assist with referring refugees and asylum-seekers to UNHCR colleagues or partner organizations for appropriate protection services;
• Assist in organizing and carrying out community-based protection activities, including developing materials and providing logistical support for the OV program;
• Document and report on counselling sessions, including data entry in the registration/proGres database;
• Assist with translation of documents between English and Thai;
• Support the Protection Unit in implementing Communication with Communities activities;
• Manage referrals through the OV program and provide protection counselling as needed;
• Keep proGres v4 case information accurate and up to date;
• Support advocacy and capacity-building initiatives by assisting with the preparation of briefing notes and documentation for meetings;
• Contribute to the analysis and documentation of protection trends and needs to inform priorities;
• Perform other tasks as assigned by the supervisor.
Qualifications and Experience:
• The candidate must be a recent graduate (those persons who completed their studies within one year of applying) or current student in a graduate/undergraduate school programme from a university or higher education facility accredited by UNESCO. The candidate must have completed at least two years of undergraduate studies in a field relevant or of interest to the work of the Organization.
• Knowledge of refugee law, international human rights law and humanitarian law is desirable.
• Knowledge of domestic immigration law is desirable.
• Previous experience in humanitarian work and/or translation is desirable.
• Excellent knowledge of English and Thai (reading and writing).
Standard Job Description
Required Languages Thai
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Desired Languages
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Additional Qualifications
Skills
Education
Certifications
Work Experience
Other informationThis position doesn't require a functional clearance
RemoteNo