Maura Dineen

Three refugees and asylum seekers who have participated in DLA Piper’s “Know Your Rights” programme, supported by the Irish Refugee Council, will secure a six-month internship with Deloitte under the scheme.

The Know Your Rights programme, now in its second year in Ireland, is a free seven-week legal education training programme aimed at empowering asylum seekers and refugees to better advocate for themselves and know their rights.

The programme is run by DLA Piper’s pro bono legal officer, Awmaima Amrayaf, with support from the Irish Refugee Council. More than 90 refugees, asylum seekers and migrants have participated in the programme in Ireland to date.

DLA Piper partner Maura Dineen said: “We are delighted to partner with Deloitte to offer asylum seekers and refugees paid employment opportunities in Ireland.

“Through our ‘Know Your Rights’ programme, we seek to empower asylum seekers and refugees by increasing their core knowledge on important legal issues and their rights, covering the legal system, employment, housing and consumer rights and now we will also be able to provide employment opportunities for some, post-programme.

“We have worked hard with the Irish Refugee Council to tailor the programme to address particular issues relevant to Ireland, and we look forward to continuing to deliver the programme to participants in the future.”

Róisín Fitzpatrick, partner at Deloitte, said: “We are very pleased to support the DLA Piper ‘Know Your Rights’ programme by creating a pathway into our internship programme in Deloitte for asylum and international protection seekers in Ireland.

“Our internship builds on the programme and offers participants an opportunity to develop a technical skillset, in addition to professional skills, in our teams and workplace. We hope it provides a step and a network to entering Ireland’s labour market.

“We have really enjoyed collaborating with the Irish Refugee Council, Business in the Community and DLA Piper to make an impact that matters.”

Nick Henderson, CEO of the Irish Refugee Council, added: “’Know Your Rights’ is a powerful and much needed programme which empowers people seeking protection in Ireland. The opportunity of a paid internship with Deloitte at the end of the programme gives people a chance to get great experience in a professional environment.

“We are very grateful for the ongoing support from DLA Piper and Deloitte and are looking forward to rolling out the third phase of the programme later in 2022.”