Aron Suba, Hungary
MPA student,
Class of 2017
Protection Intern, UNHCR, Hungary
As a "Protection Intern" at the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)'s Field Office in Szeged in the south of Hungary I assist in drafting reports that include statistical information on refugees and asylum seekers in Hungary, information about the situation in Hungary's border areas, developments in relation to protection issues, and reception and detention facilities that host asylum seekers in Hungary. I also assist in preparing daily reports that provide updates on the situation at the two transit zones situated at the Hungary-Serbia border where over 600 persons of concern to UNHCR are camping in makeshift tents awaiting their turn to have access to asylum procedures, which can only be initiated after they are granted admission into the transit zones.
In addition to assisting the UNHCR Szeged field team in the office, I also help with their work in the transit zones. Inside the transit zones I shadow UNHCR staff who provide legal advice, consult with immigration authorities, and gather information on the people who have been admitted. In the makeshift camps where people wait to be admitted to the transit zones I assist UNHCR staff in coordinating and delivering aid, in gathering information about asylum seekers, and – with the help of interpreters – in providing information to them about asylum procedures in Hungary.
I have gained hands-on experience this summer about how a big international organization such as UNHCR operates in the field. I have developed my writing skills and have learned how to write reports and briefing materials to very tight deadlines in a way that is consistent with the style, needs, and goals of the organization. I have expanded my knowledge of international and European refugee law and have developed a sound understanding of UNHCR's activities.
The most interesting thing has been working with the refugees themselves, which is a very enriching experience. Given the difficult circumstances in which they wait for admission to the transit zones at the Hungarian-Serbian border, it can be sometimes challenging to work there. At the same time these experiences really motivate and inspire me to further my understanding and knowledge of forced displacement issues and to engage with the cause of those forcibly displaced.
The hands-on experience I am gaining this summer will be valued by potential employers when I apply for jobs after I graduate from SPP. I think my expanded network, thanks to the people I have gotten to know from UNHCR and other organizations that it partners with, will also be helpful.
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