For the most comprehensive collection of legal aid resources, please see The Rights in Exile Program. The Rights in Exile Program centralizes refugee legal aid resources to provide legal assistance to providers and refugees around the world.
See below for the legal aid and advocacy resources most relevant to the Asia Pacific region:
Databases
RefWorld contains an incredible collection of reports, policy documents, and publications relating to national and international legal frameworks. Of particular interest for legal aid providers:
RefWorld Case Law search for cases sorted by country, publisher, or topic
RefWorld Standards and Training for drafting papers and conducting country of origin research
Protection Starter Kit contains basic protection related documents
Useful Websites
Asylum Access, Refugee Rights Toolkit
The Toolkit offers concise, practical advice on advocating for refugee rights through direct legal services, community legal empowerment, policy advocacy and strategic litigation.
The reader is a comprehensive online model curriculum for the study of the rapidly evolving field of international refugee law. The fourth section focuses on the challenges to refugee protection in Asia.
RSD Watch, an independent information source about the way the UNHCR decides refugee cases
This Handbook is intended to provide legal interpretative guidance for governments, legal practitioners, decision makers and the judiciary, as well as UNHCR staff carrying out refugee status determination under its mandate.
Journals & Publications
International Journal of Refugee Law
UNHCR, ExCom Conclusions (1975-2004)
Compilation of Conclusions adopted by the Executive Committee on the International protection of Refugees
UNHCR, Legal and Protection Policy Research Series
Series of legal research and protection policy papers produced by various legal advisors
This report aims to highlight key issues and concerns related to refugee protection in Southeast Asia by outlining three refugee case studies -the Rohingya, Khmer Krom, and Lao Hmong – that reveal the lack of refugee protection mechanisms in several ASEAN countries.