I am an International Development Studies student with a minor in East Asian Studies going into my fourth and final year at McGill. Before applying to be an intern with UNHCR I had studied immigration and refugee issues in several of my classes. I have also enjoyed previous work experience in immigration so I was eager to pursue a new opportunity in the field. I was very interested in the internship opportunity with UNHCR because it would allow me to deepen my understanding of Canadian immigration and acquire a new ‘insider’ perspective of an institution working in the field.
UNHCR, also known as the UN Refugee Agency, works to ensure everyone has the right and ability to seek asylum and find refuge if they have to flee their home. Although the organisation is mostly known for its work with refugees and asylum seekers, protecting the rights of internally displaced people (IDPs) and stateless people also fall under UNHCR’s mandate. While UNHCR is directly involved in the refugee determination process and the provision of basic needs to refugees in many countries, this is not the case in Canada. UNHCR Canada observes Canadian refugee and asylum policies and works with government and civil society partners to promote the best possible policies. It maintains relationships with various levels of government and refugee-serving organisations.
I got the opportunity to intern at UNHCR’s satellite office in Montreal. I worked within the Protection unit which is focused on asylum seeker issues. I prepared press clippings on a daily basis and worked on various other projects including improving UNHCR Canada’s Help website for asylum seekers, translating documents and researching best practices abroad to inform recommendations for the Canadian asylum system. This internship taught me so much about institutional interactions and all the community organisations dedicated to refugees and asylum seekers. I had the opportunity to attend stakeholder meetings and help run information sessions for newly arrived asylum seekers. One of the most valuable parts of this internship was the access it gave me to experienced and knowledgeable people working for UNHCR.
The Montreal office is small compared to the headquarters in Ottawa. This meant I was only able to connect with most of my colleagues virtually. While I am no stranger to living virtually, I had a hard time adjusting to a hybrid workplace and learning Teams etiquette. All of the Protection unit employees are very friendly and made me feel very welcome which helped adjust. When I started my internship in June there was another intern at the Montreal office that had been there since January and she provided me with a lot of guidance.
I will be receiving academic credit for a research project based on my experience with UNHCR. Professor Kazue Takamura, a close collaborator with my supervisor at UNHCR Denise Otis, has agreed to be my research supervisor. I will be researching interdiction measures and the offshoring of asylum responsibilities, particularly as it pertains to the Canada-US Safe Third Country Agreement. Professor Takamura has spent a lot of time studying migration and immigration detention in Canada and abroad.
This opportunity was extremely enriching for my overall university experience. I have sometimes struggled to figure out which direction I should go in terms of my studies and career. As this internship comes to an end I think this is an area that I could see myself pursuing long-term. Having this experience under my belt has also allowed me to feel more at ease about accessing future opportunities.
The funding I received for this internship was invaluable as it helped me be financially self-reliant. UNHCR has a broad mandate and its missions are chronically underfunded. For this reason it cannot always afford to provide a stipend for interns. I may not have been able to access this opportunity without the stipend provided through McGill’s Arts Internship Office. The generous support of Wendy Patton Keys however made this opportunity possible. I would like to extend my sincere thanks to Ms. Keys for creating this opportunity.
