Munny, a Cambodian in his late 40s, was a member of an opposition political party when he was arrested for demonstrating against the government. The police tortured him and threatened his safety. Eventually, his party was allowed to secure his release on bail after he agreed to cut ties with his party. Despite risks to […]
With accelerating growth in South-South migration, Ecuador has become a popular regional destination for migrants. The economy has grown in recent years, with standards of living rising. Ecuador’s dollarization and relatively open immigration policy has arguably made the country an attractive place to find socio-economic opportunities. But many of those detained in Ecuador are not […]
Five years after opening its doors, Asylum Access Thailand has provided individualized legal counsel and/or representation for a landmark 900 cases! ED Emily Arnold-Fernandez is featured in the California Bar Journal on the 20th anniversary of the Jack Berman Award. She was honored as a recipient in 2011 for her work with Asylum Access. Asylum […]
Published February 2013 Name: Charlie Holt Office: Ecuador Age: 25 Hometown: Bath, England What made you volunteer as a VLA? Two reasons: I volunteered in London for a group called Detention Action and had spent many weekends visiting detainees in immigration removal centers. There, I had become really angry with the injustices of the English […]
Asylum Access’s story was published in a chapter co-written by founder and Executive Director Emily Arnold-Fernandez in the book “Social Entrepreneurship in the Age of Atrocities” edited by Zachary D. Kaufman. Click here to read an excerpt or buy the book here. Executive Director Emily Arnold-Fernandez attended the Opportunity Collaboration Conference in Mexico to share Asylum Access’s […]
Published November 2012 Name: Louise Collewet Office: Thailand Age: 25 Hometown: Bergues, France What made you volunteer as a VLA? I was already practicing refugee law and also immigration law. I wanted to volunteer abroad to discover another culture and to make myself useful by helping persons in need. A volunteer opportunity with Asylum Access was […]
An interview with Karina Sarmiento, Asylum Access Ecuador Country Director You’ve led the office through some significant growth in the past year. Can you tell us a bit about the changes? Yes, there have been radical changes this year! Asylum Access Ecuador (AAE) launched mobile legal clinics a few years ago to reach refugee populations […]
This October, Asylum Access Tanzania co-hosted the International Detention Coalition’s Africa Regional Workshop at our office in Dar es Salaaam. Aimed at improving immigration detention practices across the continent, our participation represents an important step for our work in Tanzania, which also includes refugee detention issues. Immigration detention is a real concern for our refugee […]
Asylum Access Tanzania organized our first mobile legal clinic in Dar es Salaam, bringing legal aid to refugee communities beyond our office. Asylum Access Tanzania’s Women’s Empowerment Group (WEG) continues to support refugee women in Dar es Salaam with a second meeting to discuss sexual and reproductive health. Asylum Access Tanzania’s report on urban refugees was […]
Name: Milena Castellnou Office: Ecuador Age: 25 Hometown: Grenoble, France What made you volunteer as a VLA? I wanted to get some more practical experience and I was really interested in refugee law. I was interested in the Colombian conflict and its consequences in terms of refugee displacement. What was your greatest accomplishment as a […]