Valentina Rioseco Vallejos (LLM Human Rights. Lawyer.)

Thesis title: Incorporating a human rights-based approach to irregular migration. A Chilean case study

Biography

Background

Valentina (she/her) is a fourth year PhD Law Student, researching on ‘Incorporating a human rights-based approach to irregular migration. A Chilean case study’. She is Ordinary Rep. at the PGRSB. Valentina is also an Ordinary Tutor for International Law at the UoE Law School and a Teaching Fellow at the UoE Centre for Open Learning, where she teaches International Human Rights Law. In addition, she is the Administrator for the Global Justice Academy at University of Edinburgh.  Valentina was awarded an LLM (2018) in Human Rights, with distinction at University of Edinburgh, with the work-based project dissertation for Amnesty International, Scotland ‘Human Rights Standards for Assessing the New Scots Refugee Integration Strategy 2018 - 2022'. She also completed a specialisation on Human Rights, Migration and Refugee Law at Universidad Nacional de Lanús (UnLA), Argentina. Valentina is a qualified lawyer by the Chilean Supreme Court and holds a bachelor’s degree in Legal and Social Sciences from University of Concepción, Chile. In 2015, she funded the Legal Clinic for Migrants at University of Concepción, which she coordinated until 2017. Valentina was awarded two Becas Chile (ANID) scholarships, for undertaking her LLM and PhDs studies. She is a spanish native speaker, fluent in english and also speaks french. 

Qualifications

LLM in Human Rights, with distinction

Specialisation on Human Rights, Migration and Refugee Law at Universidad Nacional de Lanús (UnLA), Argentina

LLB (Legal and Social Sciences from University of Concepcion, Chile)

Admitted to legal practice in Chile. 

Responsibilities & affiliations

Administrator, Global Justice Academy

Researcher for MiLA (Migration in Latin America)

Ordinary Rep. Law PGRSB

Convenor. Law, borders and migration reading group. School of Law, University of Edinburgh.

Undergraduate teaching

  • Teaching Fellow at Centre for Open Learning, University of Edinburgh. 2020 - Currently. 
    • 10 week course on International Human Rights Law. 
  • Teacher at 'Programa de Estudios Europeos'. 2018 - Currently. 
    • Module on Migration and Human Rights. 
  • Young Lecturer at the course 'Legal Clinic' at Faculty of Legal and Social Sciences, University of Concepcion. 2015 – 2017.
    • Academic and practical guidance on refugee and migration law to students.
    • Responsible on the attention for immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers.
    • Technical referent on behalf of the Legal Clinic at the regional working group on human trafficking and social inclusion.
    • Participated as speaker in several regional academic seminars related to the topic.

Research summary

International and InterAmerican human rights law. Incorporation of Human Rights Law. International Migration Law. Irregular migration. Facilitating regular migration pathways. 

Current research interests

I am interested in finding regular migration pathways through the incorporation of International and InterAmerican human Rights Law. To do so, I am analysing the interactions between both, the International and the InterAmerican Human Rights Law systems, from the treaty law and from the soft law perspectives. My current analysis is using an evolutionary interpretation point of view. I am applying my research to the case of Chile.

Past research interests

I have researched and written on migrants integration in Scotland and in Latin America. The main focus was looking for human rights pathways to avoid assimilation. In my LLM Dissertation I analysed the New Scots Refugee Integration Strategy from a human rights perspective. As a researcher at MiLA, I cowrote an essay on Migrant's Latin American Integration. Previously, I researched on identitary paradiplomacy and the case of Quebec. For this, I did a one year exchange program at Université de Montreal, in Canada.

Knowledge exchange

I have shared my latest research with the NGO Servicio Jesuíta a Migrantes (SJM) and with the UN Committee on Migrant Workers (UN CMW). On 2019, I wrote a Report for SJM on the necessity of incorporating the Principle of Non-Refoulement on the Chilean new migration law. On 2020, I co wrote a report on the constitutional rights of migrants for the same NGO, within the context of the preparations for the Chilean new constitution. On the same year, I wrote a report for the UN Committee on Migrant Workers on irregular migration in Chile. This was within the context of Chile's periodic review at the UN CMW. 

Affiliated research centres

Current project grants

Becas Chile - ANID. Scholarship for PhD Overseas 2019 - 2023.

Past project grants

- Becas Chile - CONICYT. Scholarship for LLM Overseas 2017 - 2018.
- Chile de Todas y Todos. Funding granted twice by the Chilean Ministry for Social Development, for developing a Legal Clinic for Migrants and Refugees at Universidad de Concepción, Chile. 2016 - 2017.
- Scholarship 'Emerging Leaders in the Americas Program'. For undertaking an exchange program at the Université de Montreal for developing the research project 'Identitary Paradiplomacy. The case of Quebec', while taking courses at the Minor on Quebec Studies. 2011 - 2012
- Scholarship 'Encounter Europe – Visit Germany: A European Studies Seminar for Students from Chile, Argentina and Colombia', Academy of Otzenhausen. Awarded by the DAAD agency of Germany, to students in the area of social sciences with proven leadership skills, to participate in a European Studies Seminar. 2010.

Invited speaker

  • Commenting at the book Symposium ‘Human Rights in Times of Transition. Liberal Democracies and Challenges of National Security’. June 2022
  • Presenter at the book launch Garcia F, S. et al (edit) Why Latin America Matters – A collection of Essays, Edinburgh. 12 November 2021
  • Presenter and organiser of the ‘1st online Roundatble on Migration in Latin America’. ‘Restrictions to access in the Chilean Migration Reform of 2018’. Universityof Edinburgh, Queen Mary University of London and Universidad Autónoma de México. 13th January, 2021.
  • Presenter at ‘MiLa. Migration in Latin America’. ‘Legal Clinic with Special Attention to Migrants’ and ‘Presentation of MiLA research Project’. University of Edinburgh. 10th and 11th of June, 2019.
  • Presenter at ‘Annual AHRI Conference’. ‘Access restrictions in the Chilean Migratory Reform of 2018’.University of Pretoria, South Africa. 3-5 September 2020.
  • Presenter at Seminar Immigration, Human Trafficking and Smuggling, organised by the Criminology Reading Group at the University of Edinburgh. ‘Treatment of migrants in ILO Convention 97 and 143’. 5thNovember 2019.
  • Presenter at ‘Conference on foreigners, migrants and refugees’: ‘Why a Legal Clinic for immigrants? Violations to the Human Right to migrate’. Students Centre for International Studies, University of Concepcion. September 2016.
  • Presenter at “Hurtadianan table: Migration and its contribution to the new Chile”: “Violations to the Human Right to Migrate, at the Biobio region”. At Ignatian Centre of Concepcion. September 2016.
  • Presenter at the Seminar: “Located Migration: Building spaces for an integrated Biobio region”: “The Human Right to Migrate. Violations worked from the Legal Clinic, of University of Concepcion”. At Andres Bello University. Concepcion, August 2016.
  • Responsible and presenter at Seminar: “Realities of immigration in Chile”: “Migration as a human right. Violations worked in the Legal Clinic of University of Concepcion.” Faculty of Legal and Social Sciences, University of Concepcion. May 2016.
  • Attendance to Seminar: “Immigrants smuggling”. National Institute of Human Rights, Prosecution, Jesuit Migration Service, Migration and Foreign National Department. Centre of Justice, Santiago, Chile. April 2016.
  • Responsible of Workshops of Migratory Law. Faculty of Legal and Social Sciences, University of Concepcion. October 2015.

Articles

  • Fuentealba C, P, et al. (2020) ‘Alguna variables que influyen en las representaciones de género en el poder judicial de Chile’ Revista CES Derecho. Vol 11, No 1, enero a junio de 2020, 28-54.

 

Book Chapters

  • Rioseco V, V, Ruiz A, V, Keating, E. (2021) ‘Integration and inclusion of Migrants in Latin America. The Contribution of the SDGs, GCM and 2019 Inter-American Principles and the Relevance of Indicators’ in Garcia F, S et al (edit) Why Latin America Matters – A collection of essays, Edinburgh, CCLAS.
  • Rioseco V, V. (2020) ‘Prohibición de expulsiones colectivas, principio de no devolución y la sección ‘Actuación de la Agencia en el ámbito del Retorno’ del Reglamento sobre la Guardia Europea de Fronteras y Costas’ in Bravo V, P and Astroza S, P (edit.) Temas actuales de Europa. Una mirada multidisciplinaria, Valencia, Tirant lo Blanch.  

 

Human Rights reports

 

Posts

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