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Cameron Roberts (NYU Liberal Studies) | Refugee Law Clinic | London, United Kingdom 

A month after completing my work at the Refugee Law Clinic I continue to reflect on the immensely positive experience I had participating in the Gallatin Global Fellowship in Human Rights. My work this summer in London, coupled with the Gallatin fellowship and my independent study in New York greatly enhanced my understanding of human rights. Moreover, the Fellowship has confirmed for me the career path I aim to pursue after completing my undergraduate education. 

The academic portion of the fellowship I completed in the spring semester was by far the most unique and challenging experience I’ve had at NYU thus far. My perspectives shifted with the readings each week and I felt pushed to develop a refreshed view of human rights. Furthermore, in my independent study, I was able to complete research specific to the work I was set to complete in London. My final research project, which focused on the soft-law implications of the UK’s Rwanda Plan on the Geneva Convention was the perfect launching pad for the independent research I completed while working at the Refugee Law Clinic. 

At the RLC I grew more independent and was enabled to take the lead on casework. The work at the clinic taps into a very specific niche of the UK immigration system but it was this level of specificity that empowered me to become more of an expert on fresh claims and how they interacted with the wider policy environment. By far the most exciting part of clinic work was the activism the clinic completed. Petitioning the Home Office through Pre-Action Protocols or direct complaints opened my eyes to the crossover between official immigration procedures and how refugee advocates can push the limits of government inaction. 

While leaving the clinic was incredibly difficult as I knew it meant I would be unable to follow any of the cases I worked on to their conclusion, I remain extremely grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the cases’ completion. Finally, I remain grateful for the chance to complete such meaningful public service work, an opportunity fully enabled by the Gallatin Global Team.

Cameron Roberts (NYU Liberal Studies) | Refugee Law Clinic | London, United Kingdom 

As I near the conclusion of my 10 weeks in London at the Refugee Law Clinic I am experiencing a lot of mixed emotions. I am sad to leave the Clinic as it has proven to be my most rewarding professional experience to date. Throughout my time here both the clinic manager and supervising attorney have afforded me the independence to work through cases and lead client meetings. With their guidance, I have not only become more confident in my understanding of asylum law in the United Kingdom but I have been able to directly apply this knowledge in clinic casework. Over the past 10 weeks, I have worked on fresh claims cases involving disputed nationality, statelessness, and Article 1D and 1F protections in the Refugee Convention. 

Beyond fresh claims work at the clinic I have also assisted with drafting NRM Referrals for victims of human trafficking, Pre-Action Protocol letters to the Home Office regarding delayed decision-making, challenges to immigration bail conditions, and letters of instruction for expert advice on clinic cases. My first post was published on the Refugee Law Initiative blog covering the role of credibility in further submissions. My independent research has been the most fruitful avenue for applying my newfound understanding of UK case law and immigration rules. 

I have been able to work on clinic cases with two other interns at the clinic, both of whom have completed their legal degrees in the UK. I also collaborate with law firm and clinic volunteers currently training to work as barristers in the UK. This aspect of my work has been extremely impactful as I have learned from students and lawyers whose expertise vastly differs from my own and I have learned countless lessons concerning legal norms in the UK from group work at the clinic. 

As I leave the clinic in the next few weeks my most significant takeaway is the difficulty of applying human rights law to tangible legal work. While there are numerous protections available for many of the clinic’s clients, it is never that simple. Instead, they must grapple with Home Office disbelief, bureaucratic delays, biased decision-making, and until recently, the fear of sudden removal to Rwanda. There is an obvious disconnect between the rights afforded to migrants and their lived reality. The application of the rights asylum seekers are (supposedly) promised are not guaranteed in the United Kingdom.

Cameron Roberts (NYU Liberal Studies) | Refugee Law Clinic | London, United Kingdom 

I am nearing my first month of work at the Refugee Law Clinic and have seen up close the quick pace at which refugee rights are changing in the UK. After a little under two weeks in my role, the UK’s Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called for a general election and promised no flights would take off to Rwanda before July 4th. Yet even as the future of the UK-Rwanda treaty hangs in the balance, the pressure of the proposed removals is weighing heavily on the migrant community in London. 

My work at the clinic is focused on the creation of further submissions for an applicant to lodge a fresh asylum claim. I have been assigned to several clinic cases and in meeting with clients they consistently express fear of leaving the house or continuing to report to the Home Office. The thought on all of their minds is Rwanda, especially after the government released guidance for the removal of appeal rights exhausted asylum seekers. This announcement was a departure from previous government plans that focused primarily on asylum seekers who had yet to receive an initial decision. 

Beyond working directly with clients and assisting with the preparation of witness statements, trafficking referrals, and further submissions I was also privileged enough to attend the Refugee Law Initiative (RLI) 8th annual conference. RLI is the academic institution that houses the Refugee Law Clinic and its annual conference brings together academics, migrant advocates from the NGO sector, and UNHCR officials to discuss a central topic relevant to international refugee law. This year’s conference was focused on ‘Pacts, Promises and Protection.’ This theme allowed panel participants to share their current research on issues related to the Global Compact on Refugees, the UK’s Rwanda Plan, and the EU’s Pact on Migration and Asylum. 

The conference’s overwhelming focus on the legal aspect of refugee rights was extremely insightful and added to my tangible understanding of the work I am completing in the clinic as well as the work I hope to complete in the future. Moreover, hearing and getting to speak with UNHCR representatives gave me direct insight into the organization responsible for monitoring the enforcement of international agreements related to migrant and refugee rights. 

I am also in the process of completing independent research at the clinic related to credibility’s role in fresh claims proceedings as well as issues related to disputed nationality in asylum cases. I am hopeful that the rest of my time at the RLC will allow me to deepen my understanding of the application of international law in asylum proceedings as I continue to complete research and work on clinic cases.

Cameron Roberts (NYU Liberal Studies) | Refugee Law Clinic | London, United Kingdom 

I will work with the Refugee Law Clinic (RLC) in London this summer. The RLC is an initiative within the School of Advanced Studies and the Refugee Law Initiative at the University of London. It is one of London’s first specialized law clinics to provide legal services to asylum seekers. With two permanent staff attorneys and more volunteer attorneys working pro-bono, the clinic assists asylum seekers in applying for fresh claims. This is a growing population in the United Kingdom as many asylum seekers find themselves with appeal rights exhausted and have no choice but to submit more evidence to build a fresh asylum claim. 

I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the important work of the Refugee Law Clinic this summer. I am excited about the prospect of expanding my knowledge in international law as it relates to migration and gaining a more in-depth understanding of the UK system. My work at the clinic will be a continuation of the research I conducted during my independent study as part of the Gallatin Global Fellowship for Human Rights, and I am eager to apply this knowledge in a practical setting. 

Moreover, as the UK continues to update its Rwanda Migration Plan, among other restrictive immigration policies, I am anxious to see how this impacts the work of migration lawyers. If international human rights law remains a powerful tool, the United Kingdom has become the best arena to test its strength. However, I remain the most excited about direct engagement with affected migrant communities, as I have always found this most rewarding of any work I have completed on this issue.