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Dr Elina Steinerte starts work with the UN Refugee Agency

Elina Steinerte

Dr Elina Steinerte starts work on a one-year project with the UN Refugee Agency

Press release issued: 4 January 2017

In December 2016, Dr Elina Steinerte started work on a one-year project with the UN Refugee Agency. The project will support the United Nation High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) develop a global technical assistance and capacity building programme for national authorities and civil society actors to prevent the detention of children and implement and/or strengthen alternatives to detention for asylum-seeking children and other asylum-seekers

The protection and promotion of children’s rights, including children in situations of particular vulnerability (unaccompanied children, asylum-seeking children in families) is at the core of this action. Elina's role will focus upon the implementation of immigration detention monitoring and capacity building programmes focused on children and families and other persons at risk in detention.

UNHCR (http://www.unhcr.org/), the UN refugee agency, is mandated to lead and coordinate international action to protect and assist displaced people around the world and to help find lasting solutions for them. Set up with modest goals in 1950, UNHCR has since helped tens of millions of people, winning two Nobel Peace Prizes along the way for its vital humanitarian work. For those forced to flee their homes to escape war or persecution, the UN refugee agency is often the last hope for a return to a normal life. Today a staff of over 8,000 professionals is working in 126 countries, as the number of displaced people worldwide – 51 million – is at the highest level since the second World War. 

Further information

In October, Elina was elected to the UK Working Group on Arbitrary Detention

In a recent Q&A Elina discusses why she choose a career in human rights. 

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