Expert Functions (AWF), Researcher ( Individual Consultant)

The overall purpose of the assignment will be to carry out primary data collection in DRC, in line with the proposed the inception report, methodology note and/or research toolkit and preliminary analysis of data collected. The data collection will include key informant interviews with government stakeholders, populations of concern, civil society, and other key stakeholders. Additionally, the researcher will carry out focus group discussions with persons of concern and administer survey questionnaire on protracted refugees, assessing their risk scale of statelessness (generally and where specifically linked to their prolonged stay in exile) and their perspectives for durable solutions. 
Additionally, the assignment will include compiling/ presenting data collected and conducting initial analysis on the main trends and preliminary findings to be presented to the Snr. Research Consultant, responsible for analyzing the main findings for the four pilot countries and develop actionable recommendations for concrete pathways to local integration mitigating risks of statelessness for protracted refugee communities, including access to proofs of legal identity.

At the beginning and throughout the assignment, the researcher will participate in online training and progress review workshops with the Snr. Research Consultant and country researchers from the selected pilot countries and other stakeholders, including UNHCR RBEHAGL as required.

The successful candidate will be responsible for carrying out:

¿conducting qualitative interviews (key-informant, focus group discussions where feasible) on matters of citizenship, civil registration, immigration status, statelessness, and refugee/forced displacement matters with refugees, government officials at central and local level, civil society and other key-stakeholders in line with the research toolkit and methodology developed.

¿conduct initial analysis of the information collected during principally qualitative data collection and presenting in an adequate manner.

¿administer survey questions to refugees and other persons of concern to UNHCR.

¿any other duties as assigned. Knowledge of French is mandatory and english is essential . The Senior Protection Officer based to UNHCR Goma, supported by the Assistant Representative for Protection based to UNHCR Kinshasa
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See below for this postion's Operational Context
======================================================================================================== Researcher in DRC - ICGLR and UNHCR - Study on Protracted refugee situations, risks of statelessness and prospects for Durable Solutions in the Great Lakes

In cooperation with the ICGLR Secretariat, the UNHCR Regional Bureau for East and Horn of Africa and the Great Lakes (RBEHAGL) the regional study will seek to assess and document a selected number of protracted refugee situations in four host countries (Uganda, Rwanda, DRC and Tanzania) in the Great Lakes region, where both risk of statelessness arising from long exile and potential for durable solutions have been pre-identified specifically in the host country. This will include a legal and policy analysis of situations of protracted refugee communities in terms of perspectives for legal integration in the host country, nationality status, if any particularly for those whose nationality is undetermined, individual documentation possessed, and prospects for durable solutions specifically local integration in host country.

General Background of Project or Assignment:

Statelessness can arise as both a cause and consequence of displacement, particularly for forcibly displaced populations who have spent a prolonged time in exile. The Great Lakes region is characterized by a number of protracted refugee situations. In some situations, several generations of refugees have been born in exile in their country of asylum, refugees have lost their ties with their country of origin, are unable to prove their legal ties to their country of origin or might no longer be considered citizens by their country of origin and remain without guaranteed access to the nationality documentation of their host country. Some refugees born in exile may never have had their birth registered and be issued with the civil registry documentation to prove their entitlement to a nationality.

The study follows the commitments made by the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) Secretariat during the High-Level Segment on Statelessness and the Global Refugee Forum in late 2019 and will specifically seek to fulfil the commitments made on strengthening data on stateless persons and persons at-risk of statelessness in the region, and to explore prospects for durable solutions for refugees.

In cooperation with the ICGLR Secretariat, the UNHCR Regional Bureau for East and Horn of Africa and the Great Lakes (RBEHAGL) the regional study will seek to assess and document a selected number of protracted refugee situations in four host countries (Uganda, Rwanda, DRC and Tanzania) in the Great Lakes region, where both risk of statelessness arising from long exile and potential for durable solutions have been pre-identified specifically in the host country. This will include a legal and policy analysis of situations of protracted refugee communities in terms of perspectives for legal integration in the host country, nationality status, if any particularly for those whose nationality is undetermined, individual documentation possessed, and prospects for durable solutions specifically local integration in host country.

In particular the study will look at different sustainable local integration pathways, including alternative status in the form of long-term residence and work entitlement in the host country, with nationality documentation from the country of origin.

The study therefore makes a concrete link between risk of statelessness arising from protracted exile and the possibility of finding durable solutions for refugees, focusing on those living in protracted situations, for whom voluntary return to the country of origin, or resettlement or complementary pathways to a third country are not viable or available options, and who may also be at risk of statelessness. From 27/09/2021 to 31/12/2021. Acknowledgements will only be sent to short-listed applicants under serious consideration.

Please note that the closing date is Friday 17 september 2021 (midnight Geneva time).