Communication is a very important factor in refugee determination proceedings. Misinterpretation or inadequate interpretation at any stage of the refugee determination process can lead to erroneous rejection of a claim.

Since 1994, Iranian Refugees' Alliance has assisted refugee claimants in Turkey, by providing free of charge translation (Farsi/English) of letters and documents used in legal proceedings, immigration forms, and correspondence with international human rights organizations.

In the US, we assist lawyers, social service and other refugee organizations to communicate with their Iranian clients.

Affidavits, Statements & Counseling

Depending on the circumstances, expert evidence in the form of an affidavit or support letter may help a refugee claimant to prevail her/his claim. Iranian Refugees' Alliance refers claimants to expert wittnesses and whenever possible provides such letters itself. In the past four years refugee claimants in the US, Canada, Netherlands, and Turkey have received such assistance.

Some times refugee claimants fail only because they do not know or for certain reasons refuse to present important information showing that they are genuine refugees. Individual couseling in their own language is key to this problem.

In the US, where there is a right to a lawyer for refugee claimants who are allowed to make a claim, Iranian Refugees' Alliance assists claimants by finding them experienced lawyers and if necessary assists lawyers in communicating with their clients.

In a country like Turkey, where refugee claimants do not have the right to a lawyer and do not receive any form of meaningful legal counseling, Iranian Refugees' Alliance assists applicants by providing them with descriptive pamphlets about refugee issues, by individual counseling and if necessary by preparing statement on their behalf.

Survey on New Comers

Hundreds of new Iranian refugees have been selected overseas and resettled in various US states over the last three years. Through out these years Iranian Refugees' Alliance has been in touch with many such refugees and has used its network of local volunteers and referal system to assist the new comers.

However, due to lack of quality government funded basic services, such as language and job training, refugees have remained chronically under-served and the prospects for their self-sufficiency and growth are bleak.

Iranian Refugees' is organizating a task force to address the problems faced by new refugees in the US. We are currently recruiting volunteers including senior social-science graduate students to do an extensive investigation on the barriers that Iranian refugees face toward self-sufficiency and growth.

In order to show that a refugee claimant satisfies the refugee definition it is not sufficient to just show that s/he fears persecution; it is also necessary to show that there is an objective basis for that fear. One way to meet the objective criteria is to provide documentary evidence of the conditions in the country (or countries) where the claimant fears persecution.

Iranian Refugees' Alliance's Documentation center is established primarily to provide refugee claimants with such documentation; i.e. human rights reports, newspaper clippings, scholarly articles which can be used as evidence in prevailing their claims.

In addition, the Center also holds a wide variety of asylum related documents concerning global issues and Iranian refugees as well as published decisions on Iranian refugee claims in European countries, US, Canada and Australia.

IRANREF, our electronic documentation center, provides index to most documents in the center as well as links to those that are available electronically.

Monitoring, Urgent Action, Reporting & Critique

Iranian Refugees' Alliance has been monitoring the situation of Iranian asylum seekers in Turkey since 1994. It has regurarly provided International human rights organizations with credible evidence on the abuses and has published reports and critiques on Turkey's refugee machination as well as the shortcomings and flaws of the practices of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Turkey.

As an ongoing effort, Iranian Refugees' Alliance tries to prevent unlawful deportations from Turkey, by intervening with the Turkish authorities and the UNHCR, by mobilizing international human rights organizations and by making complaints to international tribunals.

A comprehensive report on the situation of Kurdish Iranian refugees in Northern Iraq, which so far has been un-exposed, is under publication. This report intends to build awareness and ensure durable solutions for this group of refugees.

Iranian Refugees' Alliance tries to monitor the practices of western governments in treating Iranian refugees. To prevent erroneous decisions on asylum claims, we try to provide information about human rights violations in Iran to governments, to those who make decisions on asylum claims and to lawyers and others working on behalf of refugees. We also try to disseminate and highlight important decisions on Iranian asylum claims.

L E A S E O I N O W:

If you like more information or would like to receive a brochure about this project please write to us or send us an email containing your mailing address.

Please share this request with other potential allies of Iranian refugee children.

Please make all contributions payable to IRA Inc. Iranian Refugees' Alliance is a 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization. Donations are tax deductible to the extent allowable by the law.