Associate Complementary Pathways Officer

Details

Mission and objectives

At UNHCR, our primary goal is to protect the rights and well-being of people who have been forced to flee their homes. For over 70 years, UNHCR has assisted millions of displaced or stateless people globally in finding safety and rebuilding their lives. UNHCR Jordan works to protect and assist over 750,000 registered refugees and asylum seekers regardless of their nationality. With over 500 staff, UNHCR coordinates the refugee response under the leadership of the Government of Jordan and works with a range of international and national NGO partners to ensure that refugees and asylum seekers get the support they need.

Context

Jordan is not a State party to the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, and it does not have any national refugee legislation. At the end of 2020, a total of 753,191 refugees and asylum seekers were living in Jordan. The refugee population in Jordan consists of Syrian nationals (88%, or 650,190 individuals) and refugees of other nationalities (12%, or 87,533 individuals) The resettlement of refugees from Jordan is currently limited to refugees with compelling protection vulnerabilities in Jordan. In 2021 over 5,000 refugees were submitted for resettlement. As the Syrian crisis continues into its tenth year, Jordan has witnessed ongoing protection needs paired with limited available solutions. Due to these factors, UNHCR has been working to better support refugees’ access to complementary pathways from Jordan The need to increase complementary pathways for refugees is a feature of the Global Compact on Refugees (GCR). Recognizing that these opportunities are, as of now quite limited, we begin to see additional countries and partners interested to expand these options. Recent focus within the operation has been on strengthening complementary pathways expertise through supporting individual case management, and improving information sharing with refugee communities on various opportunities UNHCR Jordan has been a global leader in the design and implementation of innovative pilot programs, the development of standard operating procedures, and the fostering of new partnerships to leverage opportunities for solutions for refugees. Despite these efforts, the recorded number of refugees departing on complementary pathways has remained low due to limited available programs, restrictive procedures, and documentation requirements. Challenges remain in determining the full scope of complementary pathways departures from Jordan as many refugees can access pathways independently and, as such, complete data of complementary pathways departures remains unavailable

Task description

Within the delegated authority and under the supervision of Christopher Murphy, Associate Resettlement and Complementary Pathways Officer or his/her designated mandated representative(s), the UN Volunteer Associate Complementary Pathways Officer will: • Coordinate the work of BO Amman to facilitate and improve access to complementary pathways for refugees together with resettlement, livelihoods, education and external relations colleagues; • Research and map various complementary pathways opportunities available to refugees in Jordan, including through focus group discussions with refugees on existing pathways, information needs, and the obstacles in accessing them; • Mainstream complementary pathways activities within the operation including through the maintenance of standard operating procedures, ensuring data quality and review, and regular reporting on complementary pathways activities. • Provide training to UNHCR relevant units/colleagues and key partners on complementary pathways and UNHCR’s role in facilitating complementary pathways; • Ensure that persons of concern have access to information and accurate messages on complementary pathways and explore innovative ways to design information sharing tools together with refugees; • Engage with partners who are or have the potential to facilitate the admission of refugees through complementary pathways and work to address barriers to access specific to refugees (e.g. related to documentation, access to embassies, etc.) • Monitor and advise on integrity issues, and data protection safeguards related to complementary pathways as necessary. • Work with relevant colleagues to strengthen data on refugees skills and develop advocacy materials highlighting the contributions that refugees in Jordan could make through complementary pathways. • Support NGO partners on UNHCR-commissioned research initiatives related to complementary pathways to ensure adequate methodology and pertinent findings to better inform complementary pathways advocacy and programming in Jordan. • Provide guidance and support for new pilot initiatives on complementary pathways in the Jordan operation, including potentially around labor migration, innovative financing and cross-border loan mechanisms, educational scholarships, and family reunification. As an active UNHCR team member, efficient, timely, responsive, client-friendly and high-quality support rendered to UNHCR and its beneficiaries in the accomplishment of her/his functions, including: • Improved data and tracking on complementary pathways assistance and departures, as well as systems to better gather information on refugee profiles (education, skills, family links, etc.) • Coordination with NGO partners around research initiatives including providing guidance, support, and review capacity to ensure a useful and pertinent final product that can enhance advocacy initiatives. • Strengthened systems for communication with communities around complementary pathways, including sharing/disseminating information on opportunities as well as conducing focus group discussions and key informant interviews with refugees at different stages of accessing complementary pathways.