About
The International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) is a global legal aid and advocacy organization headquartered in New York City, working to create a world where refugees and all people seeking safety are empowered to claim their right to freedom of movement and a path to lasting refuge. Its guiding belief is that everyone should have a safe place to live and a safe way to get there.
Mission
IRAP integrates legal aid, strategic litigation, policy advocacy, media advocacy, and legal information to uphold and advance the rights of people seeking safety around the world. It envisions a world where refugees have affirmative, vested rights and protections that guarantee them a safe way to get to a safe place to live permanently.
What they do
- Direct legal aid and representation for displaced people
- Strategic and impact litigation in the courts
- Policy advocacy for systemic change
- Media advocacy and legal information sharing
- Coordination of a pro bono attorney network and law student advocates
IRAP describes itself as a virtual public interest law firm powered by staff and a network of student advocates, pro bono partners, and supporters around the globe, using an in-person and remote legal aid model with offices in the United States, Lebanon, Jordan, and Germany. It engages 2,100 students from 29 law schools in the United States and Canada along with pro bono attorneys from dozens of international law firms.
History
IRAP was formed in 2008 as the Iraqi Refugee Assistance Project, founded by five students as an extracurricular organization in law school to assist refugees through the provision of legal aid. In 2015 it rebranded as the International Refugee Assistance Project to reflect a broader scope, and on December 23, 2018 it officially became an independent 501(c)(3) organization. Since its inception, IRAP has expanded to assist displaced people from over 70 countries.
Scale and impact
IRAP reports that more than 44,000 displaced people have been provided with legal aid, over 570,000 people have benefited or stand to benefit from its policy advocacy, and nearly 710,000 individuals stand to benefit from its court victories.
Financials
According to its IRS Form 990 data on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, in the fiscal year ending August 2025 IRAP reported total revenue of 15,230,045 dollars (88.6 percent from contributions), total expenses of 31,210,283 dollars, and net assets of 43,297,462 dollars. The IRS granted its 501(c)(3) tax exemption in August 2018.
Governance
Per the organization's most recent Form 990 filing (fiscal year 2025), leadership includes Sharif Aly as President and Rebecca Heller as Executive Director; the organization is overseen by a board of directors.
