Know Your Rights LEGAL EMPOWERMENT FOR REFUGEES - DLA Piper
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Know Your Rights LEGAL EMPOWERMENT FOR REFUGEES
KNOW YOUR RIGHTS – LEGAL EMPOWERMENT FOR REFUGEES
Know Your Rights: How it works:
Know Your Rights (KYR) is a legal education project The Know Your Rights programme consists of an 8-10
developed by DLA Piper for asylum seekers and week training course, focused on increasing core legal
refugees. We give legal courses on various topics knowledge and associated soft skills. Courses cover a
either in our offices or online. The goal of Know Your variety of topics including, but not limited to:
Rights is to empower asylum seekers and refugees by
increasing their core legal knowledge and associated • Healthcare systems
soft skills. The project also aims to foster integration and
• Employment
encourage the participants to advocate for their own
interests and pursue their professional and personal • Housing rights
goals, using the information and techniques they learn
• Access to legal aid
during the sessions.
• Public speaking and self-advocacy
The context:
• Education
For asylum seekers, refugees and migrants, moving
to a new country can be a daunting experience. Many • Consumer rights
have little understanding of their rights, which can
• The Legal system
lead to isolation, exploitation and difficulties adapting.
We developed the Know Your Rights programme in • International protection, immigration and asylum laws
2017 to tackle this unmet need, support individuals in
• Asylum and family reunification procedures
their transition and work with communities to assist in
their integration. The programme has since become • Contract law
a signature element of our pro bono practice’s global
• Entrepreneurship and setting up a business
focus area, Displaced People.
• Writing techniques and negotiation skills
• How to set up a non-profit organisation
“The Know Your Rights • Police law
programme was for me like • The rights of women and LGBTIQ+ community
a new beginning. I always • Access to social rights and benefits
thought about studying law
and enjoyed Know Your
Rights so much that now I
am applying for law studies.
I am very grateful for it.”
— Know Your Rights participant
DLAPIPER.COM
The courses are attended by up to 30 participants and who understands their experience is important.
each session runs for around two hours. The sessions For this reason, we employ individuals with a refugee
feature a number of engaging activities and games background to coordinate the programme and
to ensure they are interactive and allow participants follow-up with each participant.
to develop relationships. At the end of the course,
there is a closing ceremony where participants receive
a certificate of completion.
“My journey has been long
Following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, and difficult but the person
we have succeeded in moving our KYR sessions online
as well as creating an engaging virtual environment to who I am today is not the
make these sessions fun and interactive. same person who started
this journey. The level of
“It was a privilege to teach sessions of confidence I received from
the KYR programme. I really believe this programme is so high. I
that this is a great programme that can only say thank you.”
— Know Your Rights participant
imparts knowledge that otherwise
can be difficult to find, especially
if you are newly moved to the UK. Collaborating with our clients:
DLA Piper lawyers from across the world invite their
I would love to be involved in future key commercial clients to participate in this unique
if I can assist you again.” programme. Together they create the training materials,
adapt them to the participants’ needs and specific
— Catriona Melton, Senior Associate, DLA Piper questions and deliver interactive sessions.
Each session is prepared and conducted by DLA Piper
lawyers in collaboration with our key clients. This gives
In each jurisdiction, we work with a local NGO to
our lawyers and clients from different legal backgrounds
design and tailor the programme according to the local
the opportunity to work together and use their legal
context and the particular needs of the participants. For
skills to help asylum seekers and refugees in their
example, we recently ran a successful session for the
community. To date, we have collaborated on sessions
LGBTQ+ clients of Micro Rainbows who are refugees
with a number of clients to include, Nike, NatWest,
and asylum seekers in the UK. The programme is
Heineken, BNP Paribas, Dentsu Aegis Network Ltd,
developed to address gaps in service provision for
Reckitt Benckiser, American International Group AIG and
vulnerable refugees. We know that having someone
GE Renewable Energy among others.
KNOW YOUR RIGHTS – LEGAL EMPOWERMENT FOR REFUGEES
“The Know Your Rights “I think this is an excellent
Programme is a fantastic programme which gives
initiative to support immigrants participants a good
and asylum seekers in the understanding of their rights
UK by providing them with as employees, an insight into
fundamental information about working in the UK and the skills
living and working in the UK. to equip them to do so effectively.
The programme condenses I have enjoyed presenting and
what might otherwise be a interacting with participants.
daunting amount of information I always get insightful questions
into digestible chunks to help and it is interesting for me
ease the stressful process of to hear about the different
setting up a new life here. stories and career journey’s
The programme has been run that the participants have had
exceptionally well by DLA Piper themselves. It is a brilliant way
and I have thoroughly enjoyed to add value to someone who
being involved!” has faced challenges and I would
— Anna McKelvey– AIG – Senior Legal recommend this programme
Counsel (Corporate)
to any volunteer who has a
valuable skill to share and to
any participant who is eligible.”
— Teresa Rossetti –
Legal Counsel – NatWest
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Our participants: We also follow-up with participants and, in some
While most of the participants are recruited by our locations, provide them with ongoing support through
NGOs partners in each jurisdiction, we also advertise mentoring. The mentors support participants, provide
our programme through social marketing and in advice, offer tips on network building and discuss the
universities. We encourage our participants to share ways they can achieve their goals, as well as identify
feedback once they have completed the course, the challenges they might encounter and the best ways
to ensure we understand their experience and to overcome them.
improve the programme.
“We hear from a lot of refugees that adjusting to a new life in
the Netherlands can be a challenging and stressful process.
Within this process of integration and learning new things,
it’s sometimes easy to forget you also have a lot of rights in
this country.
The Know Your Rights programme by DLA Piper and their
partners has been a great experience and eye opener for
a lot of newcomers. With inspirational sessions people find
out what rights they have on different subjects like housing,
work contracts, family reunifications, etc. Also this year the
focus on self advocacy gave a lot of refugees in the Netherlands
the motivation and power to stand up for their rights.”
– Jan Pirot – Junior Project Manager – New Dutch Connections
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COUNTRY
KNOW / CITY
YOUR / PRACTICE
RIGHTS – LEGAL EMPOWERMENT FOR REFUGEES
Please find some feedback from our participants below:
Meet former participants:
Name: Sh. H.
From: Iraq
Know Your Rights: UK 2020
WHAT WAS YOUR EXPERIENCE ON THE KNOW YOUR RIGHTS PROGRAMME?
Prior to attending the programme, and public speaking. I particularly enjoyed the
my understanding of the law was limited to the human rights session, as it was relevant to my
field of my study. The content of the sessions academic and future career interests. I think all
was rich and covered important information refugees and asylum seekers should be familiar
and guidelines on employment rights, the with their legal rights as it also helps positive
judicial system, human rights, advocacy, integration within the UK.
Name: B. A.
From: Iraq
Know Your Rights: Italy 2020
WHAT WAS YOUR EXPERIENCE ON THE KNOW YOUR RIGHTS PROGRAMME?
We have learnt a lot. Starting from the migration my mentor is a good person. He supported me
law, what are the possibilities of answers from with my specific problem. He also proposed
the territorial commission; what the territorial some solutions to the problems, such as the
commission is; how to negotiate a lease contract enrolment at the university which is a beautiful
and how health insurance works in Italy. memory of that time.
So we learned a lot thanks to the course. Olaf,
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Name: D. T.
From: Albania
Know Your Rights: KYR Dublin 2021
As an asylum seeker I feel very good about the I am confident that all the information provided
fact that I got to not only know but even stay will be helpful to me. The KYR programme
in contact with lawyers from one of the biggest is very empowering. The reason I feel more
law firms in the world. This makes me feel very confident now is not only because I gained a lot
confident and supported. I was very happy of knowledge but also because I am in contact
with the communication in general, especially with people who are happy to help and give
from the organisers who were in touch with us their support. It makes me feel safe knowing
all the time, making us feel really involved and that if I have any doubts about my rights, I know
comfortable asking any questions. We appreciate where to seek help and advice. Also, I feel more
not only the fact that the programme was very ready for a job interview after the sessions.
informative but also that everyone was so nice I would definitely recommend this programme
and ready to help. to everyone, because it provides information and
also gives you a lot of confidence.
Name: A. Ni.
From: Kazakhstan
Know Your Rights: KYR LGBTQ+ 2021
While I was claiming asylum, I wasn’t confident I now feel more confident and I know my rights.
that I can be safe here and I wasn’t confident I believe these sessions helped not only me but
in myself. I have had bad experiences in my life in others who attended. I am satisfied with the
the past and I was doubtful about my rights here. presentations and was grateful to those who
For this reason, I kept quiet. But since I joined worked hard and helped me to understand my
the KYR sessions by DLA Piper I began to feel rights. Thank you all and I highly recommend
more confident. KYR sessions to future participants.
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COUNTRY
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Locations:
Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Thailand,
United Kingdom, Italy, Australia, New Zealand and Ireland.
At a glance:
1045 200
refugees, asylum seekers lawyers and legal
and migrants have professionals from DLA Piper
participated in our courses have taught courses
129 80
in-house counsels from
29 different clients have different nationalities
collaborated with us represented
34 41
editions in 15 locations and NGO partners
in 10 jurisdictions
10
refugee interns hired
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Know Your Rights videos:
To find out more about the programme watch our Know Your Rights videos:
• Milan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckyUzy9Hqic&feature=youtu.be
• Amsterdam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9R_lm_-pn4M&feature=youtu.be
• UK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0H8dgA1dkI&list=PLCcQWZN2g5vpcXWCNtDSbi9wHSUWU7lQI&index=5
Collaborate with us:
If you would like to find out more about Know Your Rights or collaborate on a session,
please reach out to your local contact:
Dr. Özgür Kahale Olivia Clark
Pro Bono Director Pro Bono Senior Associate
Europe United Kingdom
Louisa Soper Dr. Awmaima Amrayaf
Pro Bono Director Pro Bono Legal Officer
United Kingdom United Kingdom
Margaux Bia Lama Abdulrahman
Pro Bono Senior Associate Know Your Rights Coordinator
Europe Europe
9DLA Piper is a global law firm operating through various separate and distinct legal entities. Further details of these entities can be found at dlapiper.com. This publication is intended as a general overview and discussion of the subjects dealt with, and does not create a lawyer-client relationship. It is not intended to be, and should not be used as, a substitute for taking legal advice in any specific situation. DLA Piper will accept no responsibility for any actions taken or not taken on the basis of this publication. This may qualify as “Lawyer Advertising” requiring notice in some jurisdictions. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Copyright © 2021 DLA Piper. All rights reserved. | 16 Jun 2021 | A10110-5
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