Nasc, the Migrant & Refugee Rights Centre

10/06/2026

Nasc was delighted to welcome Dr. Manizha Khan as our guest at last week’s QSN+ Community Sponsorship Convention in Brussels, organised by ICMC Europe and the EUAA.

As one of three panellists, Dr. Khan spoke powerfully about the importance of meaningful participation in programmes and services for migrants and refugees, particularly for those with lived experience. She highlighted the significant personal cost of being a “lived experience expert” and the impact this can have on mental, physical, and overall wellbeing.

Dr. Khan also emphasised the unique and invaluable perspective that refugees bring, noting how experiences of forced displacement can shape skills and insights essential to the design of programmes like Community Sponsorship.

We were also joined by two members of the Amal Dóchas Community Sponsorship Group, who recently welcomed a refugee family into their community.

They shared their first-hand experience of the journey, highlighting the commitment, compassion, and collective effort involved in sponsorship, as well as the meaningful impact it has had on both the family and the wider community.

08/06/2026

We're looking for a new Chief Executive Officer.

The job is based in Cork and will involve a list of key duties such as strategic planning, managing a team and overseeing the implementation of Nasc's advocacy and policy objectives.

You can search for a full job description on Hire Hive or DM us for a direct link.

Best of luck!

05/06/2026

After 16 years our CEO, Fiona Hurley is stepping down in July.

Fiona has played a significant role in the organisation's development and growth, helping Nasc to expand its services and advocacy work and strengthen its policy and campaigning impact.

She was key in increasing the organisational capacity and established Nasc as a leading voice for migrant and refugee rights in Ireland.

Chair of the Board, Dr Sahar Ahmed, said:

"I would like to sincerely thank Fiona for her exceptional commitment. Her contribution to Nasc has been immense and she has helped build it into the organisation it is today. We are grateful for her leadership, dedication and unwavering commitment to the rights of migrants, refugees and people seeking international protection. We wish her every success in the next chapter of her career."

Speaking ahead of her move, Fiona Hurley added: "It has been an enormous privilege to work with and for Nasc. I've had the opportunity to work alongside exceptional colleagues, Board members, partners, volunteers and community members, all of whom have contributed to the organisation's achievements and impact. I am proud of what we have accomplished together and of the role Nasc continues to play in advancing the rights of migrants, refugees and asylum seekers. I leave knowing that Nasc has a strong team, a clear strategic direction and an important role to play in the years ahead."

The Board will shortly commence recruitment for a new Chief Executive Officer.

05/06/2026

Members of Nasc's Women Programme cooked up a storm this month, thanks to a four-day course funded by Cork's Education and Training Board.

The ladies learned how to experiment with different recipes, as well as create a wonderful opportunity for connection, confidence-building and a cultural exchange through food.

A course like this can lead to QQI qualifications, allowing the women more opportunities for jobs and independence.

A sincere thank you to everyone involved, especially Ronan the tutor, whose encouragement, patience, and enthusiasm made the course such a positive experience for all participants.

04/06/2026

04/06/2026

We had a busy day at the head offices of TikTok this week.

Nasc was invited to the event as part of its work as Co-Chair of the Coalition Against Hate Crime.

Experts and academics from across Europe gathered in Dublin to have a serious conversation about the future of AI. We also learned about tools that can monitor online hate speech and shared ideas about how to push for change from both big tech companies and our respective leaders.

02/06/2026

We're looking for a Roma Education Link Worker, who can be based in Cork.

You'll need:

📝A relevant third-level qualification (minimum QQI Level 8) in Community Development, Youth Work, Social Care, Education, Social Work, Family Support or a related discipline; or significant equivalent experience working in a community, education or family support setting;

📝Experience of working directly with children, young people and families experiencing social, educational or economic disadvantage;

📝Excellent interpersonal, communication and relationship-building skills, with the ability to engage effectively with children, young people, parents, schools and community stakeholders.

Closing date is 3pm on 18th June. Send us a DM for a link to the full job description!

02/06/2026

At Nasc we support people in every step of their journey moving to Ireland -including starting their own business.

As part of this commitment, we hosted an event designed to offer participants practical advice and guidelines.

Topics included registering a business, understanding taxes, the funding and support available, as well as lots of ideas on how to get started.

Tony O'Regan, Enterprise Officer at Cork City Partnership was on hand to host the workshop and answer any questions.

We're excited to see what our attendees do next!

29/05/2026

We had such a wonderful time in Laois this week, at our information session for people hoping to volunteer with us.

It was part of our Community Sponsorship Programme which sees a group of five volunteers or more help a refugee family resettle in Ireland.

We had great support from the Local Authority Integration Team (LAIT), the Portlaoise Parish Centre and Laois Volunteer Centre.

If you'd like to get involved anywhere in the country, just drop us a DM!

28/05/2026

We were honoured to speak at 's Annual Leadership Summit earlier this month, as part of its We Act Story-Telling segment.

Nasc's Kiren Khalid was one of six speakers taking part in a session called 'Stories from our Communities', which focused on people working for or volunteering in the community sector.

Kiren spoke about her work with the Women's Programme and highlighted how migrant women are fundamental to the future of the democratic process.

It was a great space to come together and share experience and knowledge.

Thank you for the invite!