1. legal services to the world’s most
vulnerable and persecuted individuals
while empowering the next generation
of human rights advocates and
leaders. As a result of their impact, in
recent years, the demand for IRAP
services in the Middle East and North
Africa has risen dramatically.
IRAP overseas fields a staff of
lawyers, case managers, and
interpreters who work in cooperation
with non-governmental organiza-tions,
international government
organizations and governmental
partners to swiftly identify refugees in
dire need of assistance. IRAP’s
caseload expansion is frequently
driven by the emerging needs of
highly vulnerable populations in the
countries in which they operate. Their
presence on the ground coupled with
their legal expertise and knowledge of
local cultural norms, uniquely
positions them to respond to emerging
crises effectively and in real time.
The demographic groups that IRAP
serves the most often include the
most vulnerable, at-risk refugee
women who have become the victim
of gender violence, Iraqis and
Afghanis targeted by militia groups,
LBGTs who are targeted for their
lifestyle, and any person whose safety
and lives are in danger.
As the only organization that guides
refugees through every step of the
resettlement process, IRAP is often
able to identify obstacles of which
other institutional players are
unaware. Their unique model utilizes
lessons learned in individual casework
to advocate for systemic changes that
benefit broader refugee populations.
While they never turn away an urgent
case that has merit, they look for
cases where legal work can create
precedents that will benefit the wider
refugee community.
IRAP builds untraditional, nonpar-
tisan coalitions to advocate for the
rights of refugees, ranging from
veterans to religious groups to
corporate attorneys. They also play a
major role in including refugees in U.S.
immigration legislation, drafting
legislative language around issues
such as access to counsel and formal
appeals processes, special procedures
for LGBT refugees, and expansions of
the U.S. Special Immigrant Visa (SIV)
programs for Iraqi and Afghan wartime
allies.
The Process
When refugees arrive in our country,
we only witness the very last step in
the very arduous process of qualifying
