EUROPEAN COUNCIL ON REFUGEES & EXILES

POLICY INTERNSHIP

STARTING AUTUMN (Sept – Nov) 2007 - BASED IN LONDON

The European Council on Refugees & Exiles (ECRE) is an organisation established in 1974 for co-operation between 76 non-governmental organisations in Europe concerned with refugees. ECRE’s objective is to promote through joint analysis, research and information exchange, a humane and generous asylum policy in Europe. ECRE is concerned with the needs of individuals who seek asylum in Europe and the development of a comprehensive response to the global refugee problem.

ECRE is offering a policy internship position at its London office, starting autumn (Sept – Nov) 2007.

Policy Internship

The Policy Intern works closely with the Senior Policy Officer. The intern’s work will include policy projects and research activities to support advocacy on specific issues relating to refugee protection in Europe as well as day-to-day tasks such as monitoring policy developments across Europe and preparing policy materials for publication.

Interns are active and valued members of the Secretariat attending project and general staff meetings. The ECRE Secretariat consists of an office in London with a staff of 14 people and three interns and the Brussels office with a staff of fourtwo and two interns.

The post holder will be expected to be able to work independently, using their initiative and must be able to manage a complex workload. They will need to do their own administrative work and assist the Senior Policy Officer with general office tasks if necessary.

The post is offered for a period of 6–8 months until March–May 2008, preferably full-time, and is unpaid. A small compensation to cover daily travel expenses within the London area and lunch is offered. The successful candidates will be responsible for providing their own accommodation and other living expenses in London.

Applicants for the Policy Internship post should hold a postgraduate degree from an institute of higher education in a relevant discipline (political or social sciences, human rights or development studies, etc).

All post holders will be expected to speak, read and write English to an extremely high standard. Typing ability and knowledge of Microsoft Office packages are essential. Applicants should have proven knowledge of and interest in international and European asylum, refugee and human rights issues. A working knowledge of another European language is useful.

APPLICATIONS:

Any persons interested should send:

1. A curriculum vitae in English

2. A sample of original written work in English (for example, an extract from a dissertation or article you may have written on a relevant issue)

3. A motivation letter stating:
a) What you hope to achieve through the completion of an ECRE policy

Internship

b) Any relevant experience or skills you have;
c) Where you saw the internship advertised.

Please ensure you send all this information by Tuesday 31^st July 2007 for the attention of

Patricia Coelho to pcoelho@ecre.org.

Applications may also be sent by fax to +44 (0)20 7377 7586 or by post to Patricia Coelho, ECRE, 103 Worship Street, London EC2A 2DF, UK.

Please note that any applications received that do not include all three elements requested above will not be considered.

If you have recently enquired about internship vacancies, and you wish to be considered for the above-mentioned positions, please re-state your interest to the contact person above and re-send your CV writing sample and letter.

Regrettably, due to the large number of applications we usually receive, it is not possible to write to you should you not be short-listed. If you have not heard from us within 28 days of the closing date, please assume that your application has not been successful on this occasion.

All internship offers are subject to obtaining the necessary entitlement to work in the UK.

ECRE is committed to equal opportunity in the workplace and encourages applications from refugees.