Dal law students win ISANS award for helping refugees

A group of law students has won the Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia’s award for their efforts to help newcomers with legal issues.

The students were doing a pro bono program at Dalhousie University. “Law students volunteer to do work for community organizations,” said Constance MacIntosh, a law professor at Dal. “It’s totally voluntary. There is no credit for it whatsoever.”

“We partner with ISANS to do legal information clinics,” MacIntosh said.

The students meet newcomers on Friday afternoons for a few hours, said MacIntosh. She has been the supervising lawyer for the program since 2005. The prof accepted the award on behalf of the students, who are away for internships.

A total of 110 students worked in this program with newcomers through interpreters, MacIntosh said.

“The system in Canada is very overwhelming,” MacIntosh said. “There is a lot of bureaucracy.”

The goal for the students was to gain legal experience and to help refugees and immigrants to settle down in the province.

“The system in Canada is very overwhelming,” MacIntosh said. “There is a lot of bureaucracy.”

“It’s a wonderful group that we’ve got to work with over the last 16 years,” said Denise Scott, a team leader at ISANS.

Students have been able to provide direct information on key immigration components including applying for Canadian citizenship, permanent residency renewal or a travel document, Scott said.

“A lot of that material is online, so to be able have someone … to speak to that is certainly beneficial,” Scott said.