AMERA and StARS partner to deliver mental health in legal processes training

Closure Announcement

Today we are announcing the upcoming closure of AMERA International. We will close our operations by 30 June 2024. Sadly, due to challenges in accessing sufficient funding, the organisation is unable to continue its work effectively and deliver on its mission. While we are sad to be closing, we do believe it is the right decision at the right time. Our situation reflects how difficult access to funding for refugee legal aid work is, and we want to make sure that the resources provided in the sector are put to best use.

We want to celebrate the work done over more than 20 years of AMERA’s programming, by the hundreds of people who have dedicated periods of their lives working for refugees through AMERA, many of whom are still tirelessly working and leading in the field. Our work has ranged from running legal and psychosocial services in Egypt, training lawyers from Athens to Oujda, developing networks to monitor and respond to protection violations, to producing free-of-charge resources to strengthen legal representation globally. We are proud of the work done through AMERA, and hope that even in its closure AMERA’s work continues to have an impact worldwide furthering access to justice for refugees and displaced people.

We’re looking for a home for the Rights in Exile platform, whether in its entirety or through sharing the resources and directories contained within it to organisations who can use them in their work. Additionally, we will be compiling resources for those involved in refugee legal aid – including RSD-related Special Issues resource packs, Therapeutic Legal Assistance Model materials, recommendations from our pilot Outreach project with RLOs working on legal issues, and methodological recommendations and tools developed for deportation monitoring. Watch this space for resources to be shared over the coming three months. Should you have interest in or suggestions for the Rights in Exile platform or our other resources, or if you have other enquiries related to AMERA’s closure, please reach out to info@amerainternational.org.

In the face of deteriorating access to legal protection for so many, amid outrageous rights violations and dire levels of need, the words of our founder—Barbara Harrell-Bond—remain true as ever:

“Until refugees have access to effective legal remedies, humanitarian assistance will continue to be inhumanely delivered… This approach is not about discretionary assistance when the mood for benevolence takes us. It is about defending, advocating and securing enjoyment of human rights.”