Senior Resettlement Assistant ( 6 month Contract) - HRT044 - UNHCR TA - G5 - Beirut,Lebanon

There are currently more than one million Syrian refugees registered with UNHCR in Lebanon, which makes Lebanon the highest refugee-hosting country per capita in the world. There are no approved camps in the country, and refugees are living in more than 1,700 locations across the country. The refugee response is led by the Government and local actors, supported by the international community.

As the designated lead agency in the refugee response, UNHCR has established a sector-based structure in Beirut and in the field. The structure brings together over 100 UN agencies, national and international NGO partners in identifying and agreeing on the strategic priorities to address the needs of Syrian refugees and other affected populations. The Lebanon national response falls under the Regional Refugee and Resilience Plan (3RP), whereby UNHCR guides the refugee response and UNDP facilitates the resilience and stabilization component.

The UNHCR operational response in Lebanon is the largest for the organization. Media attention and the frequency of influential high-profile visitors is high. The Office are located in Beirut, Zahle, Tripoli, Tyre, and Qobayat.

A Senior Resettlement Assistant position is located at the Branch Office in Beirut. Under supervision, the incumbent’s primary role is to assist the supervisor in effective resettlement delivery of a given UNHCR Office in accordance with the UNHCR Resettlement Handbook, UNHCR Manual and relevant policy papers and publications. 

The Senior Resettlement Assistant provides important clerical and administrative support to resettlement operations and may as required take part in assessing cases for resettlement and conducting interviews. The incumbent will also provide support services to refugees under the Family Reunification project such as access to information in Arabic, protection counselling, identity and family composition verification. Family Reunification plays an important role in allowing refugees to regain the support of family following trauma and flight and is key to aiding successful integration, contributing to improved social connections, language acquisition and job retention. Family reunification can also help to ensure that vulnerable refugees- disabled, elderly, children and others- are able to reunite with family members who can care for them. Efficient and accessible family reunification procedures can minimize the need to resort to unsafe or irregular means to joins family members elsewhere.

The incumbent maintains frequent contacts with his/her supervisor, relevant colleagues within the same Office or Offices under purview to exchange information and discuss issues on resettlement cases and family reunification applications. Some contacts and communication at a working level are required with Embassy / Immigration Officials of resettlement countries, IOM as well as with other operating partners regarding resettlement issues.

Accountability (key results that will be achieved)

• UNHCR’s durable solutions policies and standards are correctly and coherently applied.
• Persons of concern are made aware of UNHCR’s durable solutions procedures and have fair and transparent access to and participation in the solutions process.
• Suspected fraud in the durable solutions process is promptly reported.

Responsibility (process and functions undertaken to achieve results)

• Carry out preliminary interviews and initial assessments, to process refugees for resettlement following established procedures. Identification of family members eligible for family reunification including vulnerable family members with protection needs, including children at risk due to separation. Carry out preliminary telephonic assessment of cases identified with potential for resettlement (pre-identification).
• Prepare written documentation for resettlement submission and for financial assistance requests under the Regional Fund for Family Reunification; ensure that records / files of individual cases are updated in a systematic and timely manner. Interview, assess protection needs, capture family composition and details about family members in third countries in the context of the Family Reunification project and where applicable support family reunification applications through e.g. verification of identity, prior relationships, IRIS scanning
• Assess and review individual resettlement cases and prepare individual submission for scrutiny by the supervisor.
• Identification of unaccompanied and separated minors with prospects of family reunification and refer for a -Best Interest Assessment (BIA)/Best Interest Determination
• Organize logistical support for governments undertaking resettlement missions.
• Provide administrative support for resettlement-related training activities, including organization of resettlement workshops and meetings as required.
• Provide persons of concern with up-to-date and accurate information on UNHCR’s resettlement policies and procedures. Counselling refugees on resettlement and where applicable on the provision of family reunification visa facilitation procedures, including collection of documents, form filling and assistance with translation, DNA testing
• Interview families and relatives, home visits and check any other available sources as needed to ensure data accuracy, maintain family unity and support prospects for future family reunification
• Facilitate contacts between refugees in third and host countries as needed. Assistance and support with obtaining travel documents for persons traveling on resettlement and family reunification and not in possession of travel documents
• Comply with UNHCR’s standard operating procedures on resettlement, ensuring timely action on cases.
• Follow up on cases from time of submission to final decision and departure; ensure effective in-country communication on the status and follow-up on persons of concern being considered for resettlement and/or under the family reunification process
• Maintain accurate resettlement statistics as well as up-to-date records on individual cases; assist in the preparation of reports.

Authority (decisions made in executing responsibilities and to achieve results)

• Recommend eligible cases for resettlement and family reunification consideration.
• Provide counselling to persons of concern.