I spent six weeks of my summer working at Refugee Legal (RL), a community legal centre in Melbourne, Australia. They provide legal assistance to asylum seekers, refugees, and disadvantaged migrants. I worked as a paralegal volunteer, supervised by the solicitors who work full time at RL.

My work was hugely varied. My first day was a real education. Having only landed in Australia on the Saturday, by the Monday lunch time, I was reading over a Statutory Declaration via an interpreter with a client on the line to ensure that their protection claims had been accurately stated. The role was very client facing, and there were many days where I would spend upwards of four hours on the phone, liaising with clients, lawyers, and interpreters. Working with interpreters was a new experience for me and really tested my ability to think and communicate with clarity. Alongside direct client contact, I completed multiple research briefs on issues as diverse as the treatment of those with psychotic illnesses in Mauritius, to the status of trans women sex workers in Thailand, and state targeting of political opponents in various countries in Asia. The work enabled me to apply the research skills and knowledge I have gained studying politics to specific briefs and issues which I found incredibly rewarding. During my third week, I was asked to work in the Afghanistan clinic, supervised by a phenomenally talented lawyer, working directly with clients to complete asylum applications for vulnerable women. Working in this clinic was particularly eye-opening.

Working directly with clients also meant I had the privilege of learning about them and the experiences that had forced them to seek protection in Australia. At a time of heightened hostility towards refugees and asylum seekers, this experience reaffirmed my commitment to supporting those who have endured unimaginable, but very real, danger and hardship. I worked directly with political activists who had been persecuted for expressing their political views. I worked with LGBT+ people whose countries of origin criminalised their identities and failed to offer them protection in the face of violence. I worked with women trying to bring their sisters, daughters, and mothers over from Afghanistan to escape the Taliban. I worked with parents trying to bring children over, having been separated by war and violence. I worked with men trying to get protection so that they could provide for their families and create a place of safety for them to settle. But behind all of these stories, I worked with people who need help rebuilding their lives. As asylum seekers continue to be demonised in the media and public discourse, I saw the humanity of these individuals. The work Refugee Legal does is life-changing and it was a privilege to see the value of this work in action and play a small part in its delivery. On my last day, a client I had worked with earlier in the placement received his visa and sent a thank you email to the lawyer who I had worked most closely with. His gratitude, entirely unnecessary as RL delivers a service that should be the standard, reminded me how much of a difference RL’s work makes to individual lives.

I was apprehensive about how helpful I could be in supporting people to navigate a legal system I was unfamiliar with, but the fantastic support provided by the lawyers at RL meant I was able to work effectively as part of the volunteer team. Working with the other volunteers was a hugely valuable part of the experience. They were all law students or qualified lawyers, and learning about what motivated them to work at RL and in law more broadly was brilliant and enabled me to reflect on my own values and experiences and how these will shape my future aspirations.

Travelling 10,000 miles to work in a sector I had little direct experience in, in a country I had never been to, with people I had never met was intimidating to say the least. I was shown immense kindness by so many people I encountered.  The fantastic volunteer coordinator at Refugee Legal and the administrative team answered every little query I had with patience. The lawyers were equally patient and intelligent, and approached their work with empathy and expertise. It was a privilege to work in an environment so united by the mission of supporting people to find safety and peace. The experience forced me to grow in confidence and independence. I had to learn to ask for clarification where I was uncertain, but balance this with being assertive and independent in my thinking and approach with clients. Troubleshooting technical problems with the Department of Home Affairs, collaborating with lawyers to imagine solutions to barriers we encountered when delivering practical support to clients, and communicating complex issues and processes with clients all forced me to exercise leadership.

Working at Refugee Legal was an experience that genuinely challenged and changed me. It reaffirmed my desire to work in the not-for-profit sector and reinvigorated my desire to study law. Coming back to my home town and seeing it covered in St George's flags was a stark reminder of the need to dispel racist myths about asylum seekers, and approach those seeking safety with empathy and compassion. I am now exploring my options for studying law at the postgraduate level, both in Australia and in the UK and I hope to gain more experience in Refugee Law. The people I worked with this summer – other volunteers, staff, lawyers, and above all clients – taught me more than I could have ever predicted. I am immensely grateful to the Laidlaw foundation for making this life-changing experience possible.