The Hotline for Refugees and Migrants operates in several ways: At the heart of the NGO is the Crisis Intervention Center (CIC) that provides helps to those that contact us. Our public advocacy and legal activism stem from the realities we encounter at the CIC. We work to promote a fair government policy and to arouse public discussion on the responsibility of Israeli society toward migrants and asylum-seekers in Israel.
We are looking for volunteers in the following fields:
The Crisis Intervention Center
The Crisis Intervention Center (the hotline) is staffed by volunteers and provides assistance and legal representation without charge to those who contact it. As part of the CIC’s work, activists receive calls and visitors during hours of reception and also conduct frequent visits to the detention facilities where migrants and asylum-seekers are detained. The volunteers receive appeals, provide information and initial assistance, interview migrant workers, asylum-seekers and identify cases of human trafficking. Activists then contact relevant authorities on issues related to deportation, detention and legal status and also accompany migrants who interact with government ministries, the police and other State organs. Volunteers also represent migrants and asylum-seekers before the Administrative Tribunal for Detention Review, which has the authority to release migrants from detention. The representation is performed by activists who’ve been especially trained for the task and does not require being a certified lawyer.
What are we looking for?
Skills: Responsible, independent volunteers who are committed to human rights, knowledgeable in Hebrew and English and possess basic computer skills and the ability to deal with pressures and a dynamic environment. We’re especially interested in volunteers who have experience in social activism and speakers of additional languages, especially Arabic, Tigrinya, Chinese and Thai.
Commitment: Volunteering for four straight hours per week on a predetermined day for a year following the course.
Participating in a training session for volunteers once a month.
Media
The media work at the Hotline for Refugees and Migrants aims to raise the visibility of groups that are usually ignored by the Israeli public and to foster a greater understanding of those migrant communities and the difficulties they are forced to endure in Israel.
Volunteers in the media field will help research pieces for leading media outlets in Israel and abroad and monitoring the media discourse on issues related to migration. In addition, they will participate in producing public events and help migrant communities organize such events.
What are we looking for?
Skills: Responsible, independent volunteers, who are committed to human rights, know Hebrew and English and possess basic computer skills and have proven writing skills. We’re especially interested in people with experience in social activism and experience in research and interviews.
Commitment: Volunteering for four hours per week for a year following the course.
Public Advocacy
The Public Policy Department works to advance migrant rights in Israel at the Knesset and the Executive Branch by publishing position papers, sending letters, holding meetings with decision-makers and initiating and participating in Knesset committee hearings. In addition, the department oversees public campaigns aimed at the public in Israel, with the aim of increasing public support for the rights of migrants in Israel.
The volunteers in this department will collect data, take part in writing position papers, blog posts, research papers, letters to decision-makers in Israel and organizations and influential officials abroad.
What are we looking for?
Skills: Responsible, independent volunteers, who are committed to human rights, know Hebrew and English and possess basic computer skills and have proven writing skills. We’re especially interested in people with experience in social activism and experience in research and interviews.
Commitment: Volunteering for four hours per week for a year following the course.
Legal Department
The Legal Department submits petitions and lawsuits to promote transparency and accountability in the work of the executive branch and to protect the rights of asylum-seekers, migrants and human trafficking victims.
The volunteers will help with legal research, writing petitions and handling cases.
What are we looking for?
Skills: Law students at least in their second year of studies, independent and responsible, committed to human rights and capable of conducting legal research. We are especially in graduates of human rights clinics.
Commitment: Volunteering for at least four hours straight during the year following the completion of the course.
Community Relations Department
The Community Relations Department works to broaden the support and involvement of Israelis in the Hotline’s fields of activism to bring about social change from the bottom. The volunteers will help create cooperative relationships with change-makers in Israeli society, raise and develop resources while managing relations with volunteers, members and donors.
What are we looking for?
Skills: Responsible, independent volunteers who are committed to human rights, knowledgeable in Hebrew and English and possess basic computer skills and the ability to deal with pressures and a dynamic environment. We’re especially interested in volunteers who have experience in social activism.
Commitment: Volunteering for four hours per week for a year following the course.
Training
Once every three months, we hold a training course of about a month in the offices of the Hotline for Refugees and Migrants. The course is comprised of theoretical lectures and “hands on” experience.