Internships in Malaysia

Child Protection

In undertaking an internship in the field of child protection, interns are provided with the opportunity to identify and address the well-being of children at risk, including unaccompanied and separated children. This includes providing support in the following areas: assisting with the prioritization of cases of children at risk, interviewing children and their caregivers, drafting best interest assessments and reports, undertaking protection interventions in the child’s best interest, monitoring care arrangements and administrative tasks where needed. Interns will also have the opportunity to shadow/ work with refugee communities and partners on child protection prevention and response programmes, i.e. awareness raising activities, coordination, networking and building partnerships.

Durable Solutions

Durable solutions have traditionally been associated with a single pathway of permanent legal settlement, whether in the host country (local integration), a third country (resettlement) or the country of origin (voluntary repatriation). With the three traditional durable solutions remaining elusive for so many, UNHCR is intensifying its pursuit of comprehensive solutions strategies. The progressive approach to solutions is to move away from a focus on only the three durable solutions, towards a comprehensive approach to seeking solutions through different pathways such as those used to facilitate international mobility of education, work and family reunion. Depending on operational needs, interns within this unit will be tasked with, but not limited to, preparing preliminary assessments for cases to be presented to the resettlement identification panel, counselling persons of concern to UNHCR on solutions or on their case status, complete follow-up action for refugees in the pre and post-resettlement submission processes (either via face-to-face interviews or phone interviews), as well as conduct research on complementary pathways as appropriate.

Education

As refugee children do not have access to the national education system, UNHCR works closely with partner Non-Governmental Organizations, foundations, tertiary institutions and the refugee communities themselves to ensure access to education at the early childhood, primary and secondary levels is available through an informal community based education system, while access to tertiary education is supported by scholarships offered by private universities. Interns in the area of education will enjoy ample opportunities to work directly with refugees and be tasked with supporting activities related to the coordination of education programmes, advocacy, monitoring and evaluation, and reporting activities, including data management.

External Relations

External relations work promotes an enabling external environment in which refugee protection can be upheld and strengthened, enabling UNHCR to pursue its mandate and emboldening other stakeholders to support refugee protection and assistance programmes. Utilizing various public outreach tools and platforms, and working closely with internal and external partners, the work aims at generating interest and mobilizing support (political, moral and financial/in-kind) for UNHCR's work and refugee protection among Governmental agencies, the private sector, Non-Governmental Organizations, media, civil society, and the general public, especially through creating an understanding of the refugee issue, and generating greater empathy and compassion. The areas of work include advocacy and awareness-raising, media relations, public information, public outreach and engagement, and resource mobilization. Interns will have the opportunity to gain experiences in multi-level advocacy work with the Government and other stakeholders, strategic communications and stakeholder engagement, development of content for public outreach, resource mobilization and fundraising, and events management.

Health

UNHCR works in the health sector with a number of partners in delivery of health services to the urban refugee population in Malaysia. Interns will gain an understanding of the barriers for refugees in navigating access to healthcare in a difficult protection environment and appreciate the complexities of managing public health programmes for an urban refugee population. Interns will be able to apply knowledge on health project management, be part of project monitoring activities, support direct implementation of the medical assistance programme and may have an opportunity to be involved in data analysis, health access and utilization survey and other relevant assessments with refugee communities.

Livelihoods

Livelihoods activities aim at enhancing the livelihoods and self-reliance of vulnerable refugee communities. Interns in this field will be tasked with supporting the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of projects and outreach activities, conducting needs and vulnerability assessments, interviewing persons of concern, and data collection.

Protection

UNHCR regularly engages with relevant Ministries, the Judiciary and legal fraternity, the Immigration Department, Police Department, Maritime Enforcement Agency and other related stakeholders to address various legal and protection issues relating to the prevention and response to detention of refugees and asylum-seekers in Malaysia. The work promotes clarity on the situation of refugees and asylum-seekers and supports the Government of Malaysia in the management of refugee-related issues within its territory, through close cooperation and dialogues. Interns in this area are provided the opportunity to gain practical experience in providing legal protection assistance to persons of concern. Duties for interns primarily include conducting interviews to identify legal and physical protection issues faced by persons of concern, providing appropriate advice and recording these in incident reports, observing court procedures related to immigration charges against persons of concern and (for national interns) release of persons of concern from immigration detention, and assisting in compilation of data pertaining to immigration detention and legal challenges faced by persons of concern in Malaysia.

Refugee Status Determination

In the context of refugee status determination, UNHCR processes individual claims for refugee status. Interviews are conducted with individuals to elicit relevant information that would then enable an assessment of eligibility for refugee status under UNHCR's mandate. Interns will receive individual training in refugee law and protection, and thus assist eligibility staff in drafting refugee status determination assessments and conduct the required country of origin information and refugee law research to enable the adjudication and analysis of individual claims. Additionally, interns will be assigned a particular research topic relating to the current needs in the decision-making process, followed by a presentation of the research findings at the end of the internship period. Interns will further assist in the daily reception of persons of concern, including conducting counselling linked to the processing of individuals as well as assist in the administration of files.

Registration and Identity Management

Registration work includes the daily reception of refugees and asylum-seekers approaching the office, their initial interview to capture their biographical data and the reasons they were compelled to leave their home country and their inability to return and conduct vulnerability assessments to determine their needs. In this context, UNHCR also verifies their identity through a biometrics system and issues individual documentation, once identity is confirmed. Interns in the area of registration and identity management will have direct engagement with asylum-seekers and refugees in performing the above-mentioned tasks and draft interview notes and assessment to be reviewed, to determine the next course of action, as part of the case management process within the office.

Sexual and Gender Based Violence

Work related to sexual and gender based violence aims at addressing and preventing such violence through partnership with stakeholders, mainstreaming sexual and gender based violence prevention and response into all sectors and capacity building of community-based structures. Interns in this area would be tasked with the following responsibilities: administrative support (scheduling of appointments, management of database, statistics, and reporting); case management support (monitoring/follow-up with survivors as well as drafting of assessment and intervention reports); or research support (mapping of related services as well the prevalence and types of sexual and gender based violence and existing coping strategies).

Statelessness

Interns in the area of statelessness will be expected to assist in research on statelessness and nationality laws, including comparative research on citizenship laws of other countries, monitor and analyze national legislation, jurisprudence and regional developments relevant to statelessness and nationality, and assist in drafting and reviewing reports and advocacy documents. Interns will also be expected to provide functional, logistical and technical support in line with relevant international standards and the Global Action Plan to End Statelessness.

Internship requirements

All internships at UNHCR Kuala Lumpur are normally full-time positions for a minimum period of three months, however, candidates are encouraged to apply for longer periods of time and are accepted for a period up to eight months. Internship applications are accepted throughout the year depending on the need of the operation. All internships are to take place in accordance with the working hours established by the UNHCR Representation in Kuala Lumpur (8:00am – 4:00pm) Monday to Friday.

Candidates must be fully proficient in English and possess good drafting skills. They should be in the process of obtaining a Bachelor’s degree in a relevant discipline related to the anticipated internship or a recent graduate (within one year of completing their studies).

Conditions of internship

UNHCR considers applications from both sponsored and non-sponsored interns, with  priority given to the former. Sponsored interns are those who are receiving financial support from an institution, usually a university. Candidates are strongly encouraged to explore their sponsorship options. It is the responsibility of interns or their sponsoring institution to arrange for travel to and from Kuala Lumpur upon commencement and conclusion of the internship. All internship related expenses, such as travel, visas, and insurance, are to be borne by the intern or the sponsoring institution. UNHCR does not cover the cost of travel or visas, and cannot provide assistance in obtaining a visa.

For interns who are unable to secure a sponsorship, a Food and Local Transportation Allowance of a maximum of MYR 2,640 per month is provided for their personal expenses. The allowance is determined by a country-specific Daily Substance Allowance, which is subject to change. 

Internships are open to both Malaysian and non-Malaysian nationals. Candidates must show proof of valid medical insurance coverage, including illness, accidents and repatriation coverage, effective for the full period of the internship. UNHCR accepts no responsibility for any costs incurred for the medical condition of an intern.

Application process

Please send your current Curriculum Vitae and the below application form to [email protected], noting Internship Application in the title of your email. Any further questions you may have about an internship with UNHCR Kuala Lumpur can be addressed via the same email address.

Download the internship form here

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
Address: 570, Jalan Bukit Petaling, 50460 Kuala Lumpur
Email: [email protected], Telephone: +6 03 2218 4800 Website: www.unhcr.org