JRS Asia Pacific

 

JRS Asia Pacific was founded in 1981 to assist Vietnamese boat people and Cambodians fleeing the Khmer Rouge. With a regional office in Bangkok, JRS Asia Pacific supports refugees and other forcibly displaced people in Australia, Cambodia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand.

The situation in the region varies from country to country, as there are different laws and asylum processes in each place.

Among the services, JRS offers teacher training, education, and post-secondary opportunities, including vocational and digital training that enhance refugee self-reliance and resilience. JRS engages refugees and local populations in its community work to promote social cohesion.

JRS also works to alleviate the impact of persecution and displacement on the psychosocial well-being of refugees and asylum seekers by providing counselling, psychosocial activities such as art therapy and sports, and mental health education.

JRS advocates for the rights of refugees on specific issues such as detention alternatives, access to legal documentation, and the institution of a ban on landmines. We raise public awareness of issues through seminars in schools and universities across the region.

Urban refugees receiving English lessons as part of the Urban Education Project.
Urban refugees receiving English lessons as part of the Urban Education Project. (Jesuit Refugee Service)
Children run during a simulation of an emergency evacuation organised by the JRS Disaster Preparedness teams in the village of Lawe Sawah, Indonesia.
Children run during a simulation of an emergency evacuation organised by the JRS Disaster Preparedness team in the village of Lawe Sawah. (Jesuit Refugee Service)
IDP camp in Kachin State, Myanmar.
IDP camp in Kachin State, Myanmar. (Jesuit Refugee Service)

Contact

Regional Office:

Bangkok, Thailand

+66 2 640 9590

Regional Director:

Louie Bacomo

Contact JRS Asia Pacific