OPU, Law Faculty of Charles University, Czech Republic

Description

The clinic is housed in the Organization for aid to refugees (OPU) in Prague. OPU's mission is to assist asylum seekers who request asylum in the Czech Republic due to a well-founded fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, as well as recognized refugees and persons under temporary protection regime. The Organization for Aid to Refugees Legal Clinic started its activities in 2000, run by the Organization for Aid to Refugees (OPU) in Prague. It is affiliated with the Law Faculty of Charles University and has cooperated with UN Hague, the Society of Citizens Assisting Migrants (SOZE) and the Ministry of Interior, the European Law Students Association (ELSA) in Prague.

Over the last five years of activity, the OPU Legal Clinic has provided theoretical and practical training in refugee law to sixty-five students. They interview asylum seekers, conduct legal research, draft briefs, conduct country of origin research, and accompany clients to interviews at the Ministry of Interior. In addition to providing legal counseling in the office, students also go in pairs to the refugee centers Bela-Jezova, Straz pod Ralskem, and Sec, and to the detention center Balkova to offer counseling there every two weeks. Besides working with asylum seekers, clinic members have offered counseling to recognized refugees and persons granted subsidiary protection on personal status as well as welfare and family reunification.

Clinic Activities

The students involved in the clinic's activities are trained and supervised by two professors and three attorneys. In addition, students participate in exchange programs with other refugee law clinics in the region, such as the Jagiellonian University Human Rights and Refugee Center in Krakow, Poland. Work at the OPU Legal Clinic is a recognized as part of the law school curriculum.

Of the clinic students who have graduated from the university, several are employed at NGOs and in the Czech Government, while others work in either business or legal offices.

Academic years 2001/2002 and 2002/2003 :

Contact information

OPU, Na Porící 12
(palác YMCA), 110 00
Prague 1, Czech Republic

Tel.: +420 22487 2140 1
Fax: +420 22487 214 2

Email:
opu@ecn.cz
opu@opu.cz
Website:
www.opu.cz