The International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP)


Published: 5 Oct 2016

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Website: www.refugeerights.org
Street Address: Urban Justice Center, 40 Rector St, 9th Fl, New York, NY 10006


IRAP is a legal aid organisation and cannot provide financial assistance or other benefits. They do not make any decisions concerning resettlement and they are completely independent from UNHCR and national governments. Any information sent to IRAP is highly confidential, and all services are free of any charge. IRAP provides free legal services to refugees seeking refugee protection and resettlement.

Here are a few types of assistance that IRAP provides:

  • Refugees in the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program. They can help individuals gather documents and present their refugee claim prior to IOM or USCIS interviews. If they are denied, they can review to see if they can assist with a Request for Review, including written counseling for individuals with security-related reasons (“Other”) denials.
  • Iraqis with U.S. employment or U.S. family affiliations. They help Iraqis apply to the Direct Access Program (DAP) administered by IOM. Their volunteers help locate employment verification. Additionally, they can coordinate with US relatives of Iraqis who may be able to file family-based immigration petitions for DAP.
  • Afghans or Iraqis with U.S. employment applying for Special Immigrant Visa programs. They assist Afghans and Iraqis with all stages of the SIV process, including locating former US supervisors and preparing application documents.
  • UNHCR Assistance. They can assist very vulnerable people in requests for recognition as refugees, including appealing rejections from UNHCR refugee recognition. For exceptionally vulnerable cases, and in cooperation with local UNHCR offices, they can refer a case to UNHCR to request protection services. The decision regarding any follow-up ultimately rests with UNHCR.

To contact IRAP, send an email with your full name, telephone number, email address and a brief description of your need for legal services in English or Arabic to info@refugeerights.org. They are not able to assist everyone who contacts them, and emailing them does not create an attorney-client relationship.

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