Terms of Reference: Programme Associate – RLRH <> Asylos Partnership

Position title: Programme Associate – Thematic Research
Organisation: Asylos
Reports to: Programme lead at Asylos: Fatima Ali

Location: Remote, candidates must be based within ±3 hours of Central European Time (CET) to ensure adequate working‑hours overlap with the Asylos team.
Commitment: Individuals are expected to commit a minimum of 20 hours per each week for a period of 6 months, flexible working hours and time off by the way of negotiation with programme lead
Stipend: £1,012.44 per month. RLRH uses the UKRI stipend value prorated to 20 hours per week.
Additional support: Throughout the placement, the Refugee-Led Research Hub (RLRH) will offer 1:1 check-ins and support to build professional development skills to succeed in the placement and in onward career trajectories. RLRH will also maintain regular contact with Asylos to identify any challenges that may occur throughout the placement, and explore areas for collaboration where appropriate.

Additional requirements: For this role you will be fully briefed on data protection and confidentiality and required to sign a confidentiality agreement.


About Asylos

Asylos is a global network of volunteers that provides high-quality country-of-origin information (COI) research to help people seeking asylum claim their right to safety under international law. Asylos is registered as a UK Charity, led by a small staff team and supported by a dynamic Board of Trustees.

What is Country of Origin Information (COI)

Country of Origin Information (COI) is an important element in the Refugee Status Determination (RSD) procedure, as it helps to evaluate whether there is a risk of persecution or serious harm if the person would be returned.

COI is information on the country of origin, or in some cases information on the country of former habitual residence or transit. COI might include information on:

    • the human rights, humanitarian and security situation
    • ethnicity and religion
    • legal, political or economic contexts
    • cultural and societal attitudes
    • availability of state protection and internal flight
    • specific events and incidents that have occurred in that country

At Asylos, we believe that every person seeking asylum deserves a fair opportunity to claim their right to protection. Evidence to prove fear of persecution or to support the credibility of individual testimony is a vital element in the decisions taken to grant or withhold asylum. But many refugees and their legal representatives cannot access this necessary information. To redress this imbalance and protect the right to asylum, Asylos’ volunteers leverage their research skills, contextual knowledge, and contacts on the ground to:

    • ensure that people claiming asylum or other forms of protection and their legal counsel have access to crucial information to substantiate their claim; and
    • ensure that the asylum and other protection procedures are evidence-based and unbiased.

Asylos’ commitment to anti-racism and integration of lived experiences:

As an organisation with a mission to promote access to justice and to uphold human rights, we recognise that integrating lived experiences across our organisation and our work is central to our anti-racism, inclusion and diversity efforts.

Asylos is committed to actively combating racism and systemic inequities within our organisation and the asylum system. We recognise the profound impact of racism and discrimination on forced migrants and people seeking asylum, and we are dedicated to ensuring that those with lived experiences of these issues have a meaningful voice in shaping our work. We are committed to actively recruiting and supporting staff and volunteers from diverse backgrounds and regularly evaluating our COI research through an anti-racist lens.

Asylos’ working definition of lived experiences includes direct experiences of i) asylum systems, statelessness procedures or protection procedures for trafficked persons or ii) living in or forced migration from countries of origin of refugees or iii) migration from the Global South. We recognise that factors such as gender identity or expression and sexual orientation, age, disability and other factors shape these and other lived experiences. We recognise that lived experience can encompass a wide range of factors, including racial discrimination, experiences in the Global South, and navigating systems of oppression. We are committed to creating a workplace that values and supports individuals with these experiences.

The Refugee-Led Research Hub

The Refugee-Led Research Hub (RLRH) supports individuals with lived experience of displacement to become leaders in fields of their choice, including human rights, forced migration, politics, law, and other areas of interest. We do so by delivering academic and professional development programming to a global cohort of students who have been affected by displacement, supporting access to graduate degrees and advanced professional opportunities. RLRH also creates opportunities for researchers with displacement backgrounds to lead primary and secondary research studies, from start to finish. The mission of RLRH is embodied in our leadership structure: the majority of our team have lived experience of displacement. Our network of colleagues, researchers, students, and other professional affiliates comprises 1400+ individuals across 100+ countries.

RLRH has five active offices: we were founded in Nairobi in 2020, opened an office at the University of Oxford in 2021, and have since developed physical hubs in Kakuma refugee camp, Kuala Lumpur, and the Oxfordshire community. In May 2026, we will open an office in Kampala.


About the Professional Placement

Title: Programme Associate – Thematic Research Programme Associate.

Role purpose:

This position is based at Asylos, in partnership with RLRH. It is intended for individuals with lived experience of forced displacement, whose perspectives can meaningfully inform Asylos’ work, and who will benefit from the opportunity to sharpen and apply their academic and professional skills within the organisation.

In this placement at Asylos, the Programme Associate – Thematic Research will work closely with the Programme Manager to improve access to country of origin information (COI) for cases involving a ‘new’ vulnerable group. The individual will also collaborate with remote staff based in the UK, Spain and the Netherlands, as well as with Asylos’ network of volunteers and Trustees. Under the supervision of the Thematic Research Programme Manager, the Programme Associate will help deliver a range of projects, including developing thematic COI reports, briefing and supporting volunteers, and providing COI-related training for external legal representatives.

Key responsibilities:

    • Work closely with Asylos’ Thematic Research Programme Manager to identify new vulnerable groups of people seeking asylum whose situations are not adequately reflected in the UK country of origin information (COI).
    • Participate in the planning, development and implementation of activities under one or more of Asylos’s other work streams as required and collaborate with other Programme Managers strategic scoping of groups at risk.
    • Support the establishment and coordination of a steering committee comprising sector experts and experts with lived experience.
    • Contribute to the development of terms of reference for the project.
    • Briefing and guidance to Asylos’ volunteer network on the thematic project and COI methodology.
    • Develop thematic training materials and deliver online training sessions for legal representatives.
    • Build and maintain strong relations with partners and key stakeholders across the UK, EU and beyond.
    • Engage in any other tasks, including administrative, as required and in consultation with the Thematic Research – Programme Manager.

Person Specification

Essential:

    • The applicant should have lived experience of forced displacement and be a current or former Mastercard Foundation scholar and/or affiliate of the Refugee-Led Research Hub.
    • Have a good understanding of research methodologies and different approaches to research presentation.
    • Work with excellent accuracy and strong attention to detail.
    • Ability to coordinate with others online, manage joint tasks, and adapt to different communication styles and schedules.
    • Be comfortable working in a small team environment, to work independently and be able to manage own workload and meet strict deadlines.
    • Have good interpersonal skills and demonstrated commitment and ability to work in a participatory and collaborative manner.
    • Able to communicate confidently and accurately in English, with a priority for clarity over “native level” fluency. Knowledge of other languages is an asset.
    • Have a commitment to Asylos’ mission.
    • Ability to work within your local time zone, with flexibility to adjust schedules to collaborate with and participate in one-to-one training with Asylos’ staff based in Central European Time.

Desirable:

    • Experience in supporting others, giving feedback, or guiding people through research tasks.
    • A special interest in one or more of the following groups in the context of asylum: children, persons with disabilities, statelessness, trafficking, sexual orientation and gender identity and expression.
    • Interested in monitoring and elevating impact.
    • Enjoy working with online project management tools such as Google Suite and Slack.

What we offer:

    • Access to training in COI research and professional and skills development.
    • Access to opportunities to represent Asylos externally, where relevant, at conferences, events, and in other forums to promote improved production and use of COI.
    • Access to a global network of nearly 100 enthusiastic and committed volunteers.
    • Close working relations with the Asylos’ staff and Co-Directors.
    • Engaging and supportive Board of Trustees.

 

 

Image credit: Becca Tapert