Outreach, Partnership-management and Communication

Our Team Lead is:

• Vittoria Catalfamo (vittoria.catalfamo@asylex.org) 

Our Team email is:

• rightsinexile@asylex.org 

You can access the RiE platform via: www.rightsinexile.org or www.asylex.org 

All documents relevant to the RiE project can be found in our AsyLex G-Drive folder, under:

• Legal Advice > 6. International Department > 4. Rights in Exile

Feel free to reach out to either of us via Slack or our individual email addresses in case of questions or concerns.

We use Wordpress and Elementor to work on the backend of the RiE Website. 

All documents relevant to the RiE Wordpress (including the Rights in Exile Website Management Manual) can be found in our AsyLex G-Drive folder, under:

• Legal Advice > 6. International Department > 4. Rights in Exile > For Volunteers > Wordpress

Here you can watch the recording of a video workshop with an introduction and detailed explanation on all RiE Wordpress and Elementor functions.

Feel free to reach out to either of us via Slack or our individual email addresses in case of questions or concerns.

The Rights in Exile platform is divided into 2 parts, which contain different as well as overlapping resources for Refugees and Legal Advisors. The main resources are:

1. Legal Assistance by Country: a list of organisations providing legal assistance in over 160 countries [for Refugees and Legal Advisors];

2. Country of Origin Information Experts List by Country: a list of COI Experts who are available to produce reports covering many different countries in support of asylum cases  [for Legal Advisors];

3. Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Information by Country with country-specific information and support for asylum cases related to sexual orientation, gender identity and LGBTQI+ rights  [for Refugees and Legal Advisors];

4. Special Issues section, aimed at providing research in areas of persecution that are challenging to argue, where nuanced legal analysis and expertise can strengthen refugees' representation [for Legal Advisors];

5. Collection of national and international case law databases by country or region  [for Legal Advisors];

6. Refugee Resources which gathers guidance and tools for refugees in the process of applying for asylum and status determination, including Self Help Kits to support asylum seekers in the process of writing statements for the Refugee Status Determination Interview  [for Refugees].

Our Legal Assistance by Country contains a list of non-governmental organisations, pro bono law firms, and, in some cases, individual lawyers, who offer free legal aid and/or other services related to the needs of refugees. For some countries, either we have not been able to list any organisations, or we provide only organisations that offer other types of assistance to refugees and might potentially lead to legal aid.

Every Legal Assistance Country page has the following structure: 

• information on refugee protection 

• a list of organisations providing legal assistance 

• a list of organisations providing other types of assistance to refugees

To get familiar with the structure of a country page, please have a look at the Afghanistan Legal Assistance page. 

When assigned the task to update the research for a specific Country page, please consult the Legal Assistance page Research Guide, which contains all the information you need to conduct the research. 

Here you can find the spreadsheet were we record all organisations that are part of our online list. Whenever you find new organisations to add to the list, or an organisation asks to be removed from it, please update both tabs on this spreadsheet. 

On our Country of Origin Information (COI) page, you can find general and specific information regarding COIs, as well as our Country of Origin Information Experts List by Country, containing experts who are available to produce reports covering many different countries in support of asylum cases. 

Every COI Country page has the following structure: 

• a list of experts providing Country of Origin Information for the country

• a list of resources providing Country of Origin Information for the country

To get familiar with the structure of a country page, please have a look at the Eritrea COI page.

If you want to contact a potential COI expert to add to our database, or if a new COI expert contacts us to apply to our list, please follow the procedure outlined in the Country of Origin Expert Checklist.

Our Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) Information by Country is a database contains country-specific information and support for asylum cases related to sexual orientation, gender identity and LGBTQI+ rights. On every country page, you can find legal information, case law, evidence of public attitudes, a list of NGOs that assist or advocate on LGBTQI+ issues, and LGBTQI Specialists.

Every SOGI Country page has the following structure: 

• Information on the legal framework concerning LGBTQI+ rights 

• Information on public attitude and state capacity to protect 

• Relevant case law

• A list of organisations supporting LGBTQI+ individuals 

• A list of Country of Origin experts in LGBTQI+ rights

To get familiar with the structure of a country page, please have a look at the Pakistan LGBTQI+ Resource page. 

When assigned the task to update the research for a specific Country page, please consult the SOGI / LGBTQI+ Country Page Research Guide, which contains all the information you need to conduct the research.