Position Title: Legal Researcher
Location: Gauteng (Johannesburg and Pretoria)
Programme: Refugee and Migrant Rights Programme
Application Deadline: 18 July 2025
Contract Duration: August – December 2025
Overview of the Organisation
Since its founding in 1979, Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR) has played a pivotal role in advancing human rights through strategic litigation, policy advocacy, community mobilisation, and the provision of direct legal assistance via walk-in law clinics. As a leading public interest legal organisation in South Africa, LHR is committed to defending the rights of marginalised and vulnerable individuals and communities, particularly in the areas of refugee protection, migration, statelessness, and social justice.
Role Description
LHR is currently seeking applications from suitably qualified candidates for the role of Legal Researcher within the Refugee and Migrant Rights Programme. The successful candidate will contribute to policy development, legal research, and advocacy initiatives aimed at enhancing protection frameworks for refugees, asylum seekers, and stateless persons in South Africa. The role requires collaboration with national and international stakeholders, and includes the development of a comprehensive research report focused on critical legislative and policy gaps impacting displaced and undocumented children and youth.
Key Responsibilities
The Legal Researcher will lead the Programme’s research outputs and contribute substantively to the following thematic areas:
1. Legal Framework Analysis: Family Joinder and De-Linking
- Examine the principle of family unity under international and regional instruments, including the 1951 Refugee Convention and the 1969 OAU Convention.
- Analyse the South African Refugees Act and how it governs documentation and protection for children born to refugees and asylum seekers.
- Investigate comparative legal practices across jurisdictions regarding family unity and documentation of refugee children.
- Review relevant judicial decisions affirming the right to family unity and their implications for South African refugee policy.
- Assess the impact of the 2020 amendments to the Refugees Act on the practice of de-linking children from their parents’ asylum files.
- Identify the legal remedies available to de-linked children and dependents not joined to parental files.
- Explore complementary safeguards under the Children’s Act and other statutory frameworks.
2. Documenting Lived Experiences: Gaps in Law and Policy
- Collect and synthesise narratives from individuals directly affected by the procedural and legislative gaps in the asylum and migration system.
- Highlight how these gaps perpetuate statelessness, vulnerability, and human rights violations.
3. Statelessness and Special Dispensation for Displaced Children and Youth
- Investigate the nexus between forced displacement and childhood statelessness in the South African context.
- Focus on unaccompanied and separated migrant children who lack documentation, parental details, or proof of origin, and who face systemic barriers to birth registration or nationality claims.
- Examine the situation of children born to refugees and asylum seekers who are unable to acquire nationality in their parents’ country of origin due to inaccessible consular services and absence of domestic legal pathways to citizenship.
Qualifications and Experience
Applicants should meet the following minimum criteria:
- A recognised LLB degree; an LLM in Human Rights or related field is advantageous.
- At least six months’ experience in legal research, preferably in areas concerning human rights, migration, or refugee law.
- Demonstrated passion for social justice and commitment to public interest work.
- Knowledge of South African laws and policies affecting refugees, asylum seekers, and stateless persons.
- Familiarity with qualitative and quantitative research methods, including ethical research practices involving vulnerable populations.
- Experience in advocacy and policy development is a strong asset.
- Understanding of children’s rights and the South African child protection framework.
- Willingness to travel for fieldwork across South Africa.
Organisational Culture and Commitment
LHR fosters a dynamic and inclusive working environment and values flexibility, collaboration, and dedication to justice. The organisation is committed to diversity and transformation and strongly encourages applications from individuals belonging to historically disadvantaged or marginalised communities.
In line with its mission, LHR also upholds a rights-based approach to child and vulnerable adult protection. All staff members are expected to adhere to LHR’s professional standards of conduct.
Application Process
Interested candidates should submit:
- A detailed letter of motivation outlining their interest and suitability for the role.
- A comprehensive CV highlighting relevant qualifications and experience.
Applications must be sent to [email protected] by close of business on 18 July 2025. Shortlisted candidates will be contacted for interviews between 21–24 July 2025. Incomplete or late applications will not be considered.
For more information about LHR’s programmes and values, visit LHR official website.
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Disclaimer: Global South Opportunities (GSO) is not the hiring organization. For any inquiries, please contact the hiring organization directly. Please do not send your applications to GSO, as we are unable to process them. Due to the high volume of emails we receive daily, we may not be able to respond to all inquiries. Thank you for your understanding.
