Refugees and asylum seekers can now apply for paid internships as DLA Piper and Deloitte announce a new partnership.
Already, three refugees and asylum seekers who participated in the "Know Your rights" programme, hosted by DLA Piper and supported by the Irish Refugee Council (IRC) and have gone on to secure a six-month internship with Deloitte as part of the scheme.
The "Know Your Rights" programme is now in its second year. It is a free seven-week legal education training programme aimed at empowering asylum seekers and refugees to better advocate for themselves and know their rights. It is run by Awmaima Amrayaf, DLA Piper's pro bono legal officer, in conjunction with the IRC. So far, more than 90 refugees, asylum seekers and migrants have participated in the programme.
DLA Piper partner Maura Dineen commented:
"We are delighted to partner with Deloitte to offer asylum seekers and refugees paid employment opportunities in Ireland. Through our ‘Know Your Rights’ programme, we seek to empower asylum seekers and refugees by increasing their core knowledge on important legal issues and their rights, covering the legal system, employment, housing and consumer rights and now we will also be able to provide employment opportunities for some, post-programme. We have worked hard with the Irish Refugee Council to tailor the programme to address particular issues relevant to Ireland, and we look forward to continuing to deliver the programme to participants in the future."
Róisín Fitzpatrick, partner at Deloitte had this to say:
"We are very pleased to support the DLA Piper ‘Know Your Rights’ programme by creating a pathway into our internship programme in Deloitte for asylum and international protection seekers in Ireland. Our internship builds on the programme and offers participants an opportunity to develop a technical skillset, in addition to professional skills, in our teams and workplace. We hope it provides a step and a network to entering Ireland’s labour market. We have really enjoyed collaborating with the Irish Refugee Council, Business in the Community and DLA Piper to make an impact that matters."
Nick Henderson, CEO of the IRC concluded by adding:
"Know Your Rights’ is a powerful and much needed programme which empowers people seeking protection in Ireland. The opportunity of a paid internship with Deloitte at the end of the programme gives people a chance to get great experience in a professional environment. We are very grateful for the ongoing support from DLA Piper and Deloitte and are looking forward to rolling out the third phase of the programme later in 2022."
This story first appeared in Irish Legal News on 17 Feb 2022.