About the course
This course is offered in partnership with the Africa Chapter of the International Association for Refugee Judges (IARMJ) and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR). It is focused on familiarising judicial officers across Africa with the basic concepts and principles of refugee protection under international and regional refugee law.
The course takes place over 12 weeks. It is semi-synchronous; while the bulk of the course is self-paced, participants progress with a cohort of similarly placed colleagues from around the continent, engaging in discussions through the learning platform and the webinars. These webinars include presentations by refugee law experts from the continent; judges, practitioners, academics and protection officers, and run every two weeks on Wednesday evening and Saturday morning to accommodate the variety of schedules and time zones.
The course covers the basic and foundational principles of refugee protection under international and regional refugee instruments, the interactions between these instruments and domestic law, the role that the courts play in ensuring the protection of refugees and the interactions between refugee law and other areas of law.
Previous testimonies
Previous participants joined from across the continent, including from South Africa, Kenya, Botswana, Zambia, Nigeria, Ethiopia and Mauritius. We received an overwhelmingly positive response, with 96% of the previous cohort saying that they would recommend the course to a colleague.
Some additional feedback from our previous participants:
"I particularly liked the course's practical and human-rights-based approach to refugee law. It provided a strong understanding of the legal framework governing refugee protection while also highlighting the real challenges faced by refugees."
"The webinars bridged the gap between theory and practice and created a sense of community among judicial officers facing similar challenges across the region. They were easily the most engaging part of the course for me."
"It was precisely tailored for adjudicators and it was so flexible to study... it allowed participants to manage their schedules."
Course content
- Defining a refugee under international and regional law
- The principle of non-refoulement
- Assessing credibility and establishing facts for status determination
- The role of the courts in and international mechanisms in protecting refugees
- Issues of arrest, detention and deportation
- Durable solutions
- Interactions between refugee law and immigration law, international human rights law, criminal law and administrative law
Registration
The course is being offered for free. Register and enrol directly with the course provider.
More Information
Read more: JIFA Short Courses
Email: jifa@uct.ac.za
Phone: +27 (0)21 650 2098
REGISTER WITH JIFA
= (0)