Deadline for Applications
March 22, 2026
Hardship Level (not applicable for home-based)
H (no hardship)
Family Type (not applicable for home-based)
Family
Staff Member / Affiliate Type
Internship
2026-04-01
UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is offering a full-time internship within the
UNHCR Representation in Warsaw, Poland.
This exciting internship is a unique opportunity to gain experience in legal protection response as well as experience in working within the UN system.
UNHCR is a global organisation dedicated to saving lives, protecting rights and building a better future for refugees, forcibly displaced communities and stateless people. Every year, millions of men, women and children are forced to flee their homes to escape conflict and persecution.
Title: Protection Intern
Duty Station: Warsaw, Poland
Unit: Protection Unit, Legal and Policy Team
Duration: 6 months with possibility of extension for 2 months
Contract Type: Internship
Start date: ASAP
Organisational context
Poland’s eastern borders with Belarus, the Russian Federation and Ukraine serve as the European Union’s external boundaries. Poland currently hosts nearly 1 million refugees from Ukraine, alongside other asylum-seekers and refugees from different countries. UNHCR has been in Poland for over 30 years (since 1992), working with national authorities on refugee-related matters.
UNHCR in Poland supports government-led efforts through a multi-sectoral response, with a focus on ensuring access to asylum and protection (including access to legal status, documentation, and rights), assisting the most vulnerable refugees, and facilitating inclusion and solutions for refugees. UNHCR works with central and local authorities, partners, media, civil society, communities, and more.
As the UN-mandated agency to provide international protection to refugees, UNHCR leads the refugee coordination structure in support of Polish authorities, to enhance the national response, ensure complementarity, and avoid duplication. Under the Poland chapter of the Regional Refugee Response Plan for the Ukraine situation, UNHCR currently coordinates the response of 58 organizations, the majority of which are Polish or refugee-led organisations.
The position
We are seeking a dynamic and proactive team player, with a strong interest in refugee law, to complete a six-month internship (with possibility of extension for two months) within UNHCR’s Protection team.
The Protection Intern is an integral member of the Legal and Policy Team within the Protection Unit and works under the direct supervision of the Associate Protection Officer.
The intern will primarily support the Protection Unit in responding to individual inquiries from asylum-seekers, refugees, stateless persons, and their legal representatives. This includes providing information, guidance, and referral support in line with established protection procedures and standards.
In addition, the intern will assist the team in monitoring and analysing legal and policy developments, political dynamics, and media reporting that affect the protection environment for asylum-seekers, refugees, and stateless persons in Poland.
Through these tasks, the Protection Intern contributes to the office’s ability to deliver quality, timely, and effective protection interventions that address the needs of displaced persons in Poland.
Duties and responsibilities
Under the supervision of the Associate Protection Officer, the intern will:
• Respond to individual protection‑related inquiries received through the Protection Unit’s email channel, using established templates, guidance, and referral pathways.
• Assist in drafting updates and information products for community communication, including FAQs, and other informational materials.
• Contribute to documenting protection trends, including through monitoring developments in national and EU policy and legislation that may affect asylum‑seekers, refugees, and stateless persons, and provide concise summaries to the team.
• Provide administrative and organisational support to the Protection Unit, such as compiling inputs, supporting meeting coordination, and preparing background materials.
• Contribute to reception and detention monitoring activities, including supporting follow‑up actions as required.
• Perform other related duties to support the effective functioning of the Protection Unit.
Essential minimum qualifications and professional experience required
The ideal candidate will:
• Be a current student or recent graduate of a university or other higher‑education institution accredited by UNESCO, having completed at least two years of undergraduate studies in law.
• Possess excellent communication skills, including strong interpersonal abilities and sound negotiation skills.
• Be fluent in English and Polish, with strong writing and editing abilities. Knowledge of additional languages is an asset.
• Have solid experience using the Microsoft Office suite (Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint).
• Demonstrate a genuine motivation to learn, grow, and contribute to protection work.
• Be highly organised, with strong attention to detail.
• Be able to manage multiple tasks effectively and prioritise workload in a dynamic environment.
• Work well both independently and collaboratively as a flexible and proactive team player.
• Be available to work full‑time for the duration of the internship.
• Not have immediate relatives (father, mother, brother, or sister) working for UNHCR as a staff member on any contract type or as an affiliate at the time of application.
• Not have exhausted the maximum cumulative internship period with UNHCR, including any prior internships (8 months for full-time and 12 months for part-time).
Location
The successful candidate will be based in Warsaw, Poland.
Conditions
The internship is for six months (with possibility of two-month extension), to start as soon as possible.
It is a full-time role with working hours starting from 09.00a.m. to 5.00p.m. Monday to Friday.
Please note that the terms of internship are defined by UNHCR latest regulation on internships.
Travel and obtaining and renewing current visas and residence permits including all associated costs, are the responsibility of the intern.
Please note that the terms of internship, as defined by UNHCR practice, include the payment of a Food and Local Transportation Allowance (FLTA). FTLA is available if an intern is not sponsored by an outside party.
The UNHCR workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures, languages and opinions. UNHCR seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce. Applications are encouraged from all qualified candidates without distinction on grounds of race, colour, sex, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation and gender identity.
Standard Job Description
Required Languages
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Desired Languages
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Additional Qualifications
Skills
Education
Certifications
Other information
This position doesn't require a functional clearance
Remote
No