Address: JRS Europe Rue du Progrès (Vooruitgangstraat) 333, first floor, B-1030 Bruxelles. Belgium Telephone: + 32 2 250 32 20 Fax:           + 32 2 250 32 29 E-mail General Information: europe.admin(a)jrs.net Webmaster: europe.media(a)jrs.net To send an email, just replace the (a) with @

How to find us? Our office is located on Rue du Progrès (Vooruitgangstraat), which runs from Gare du Nord in the direction of Schaerbeek. It is a 10 minute walk from the station and is also accessible via Trams 4, 25, 55, 56, 94 (Get out at stop: Thomas). Our office is just across the road from the tram stops at no. 333 Rue du Progrès.

JRS Europe Staff

Br Michael Schöpf, Regional Director - europe.director(a)jrs.net

Michael started to work with JRS Europe in March 2005. He has an interest in migration and development and comes with a background in philosophy and development sociology. Michael worked for the first time with JRS in an income-generating project in Kenya in 1993/94. He has later been a member of the council for the JRS Europe Regional Director while teaching international migration and development courses in Munich. At JRS Europe he is responsible for the coordination of programmes and country offices. He will also start some advocacy work on issues related to Africa.  He assumed the role of Regional Director on November 1st, 2008. hide

Mr Stefan Kessler, Policy and Advocacy Officer - europe.senioradvocacy(a)jrs.net

Stefan started working with the regional office in February 2009.  After his studies in History, Economics and African Studies, he began working in the field of human rights, aliens and refugee law. Before joining the Brussels team, Stefan held the position of Policy Officer with JRS Germany. Stefan oversees the offices advocacy work, while specialising in destitution and externalisation.   hide

Ms Isabelle de Sazilly, Administration - europe.admin(a)jrs.net

Isabelle comes from France, and has been in the team since November 2002. Before working with JRS-Europe, she worked in formal and informal education and in the administration of two French non-profit associations. She then worked for 8 years in the field of Development, Finance and Solidarity in Paris (Frères des Hommes and Société d’Investissement et de Développement International); she also worked for two and a half in Rome. From 1989 onwards, her professional experience has always been in an international context, giving her the opportunity of using her linguistic abilities. She is responsible for Administration and the general running of the JRS-Europe office. hide

Ms Carola Jimenez-Asenjo, Funding Officer - europe.projects(a)jrs.net

Carola Jiménez-Asenjo comes from Spain, and started work at JRS-Europe in October 2000. Previously, she had worked in various project management positions such as EU Project assistant at GeoPlaneta, and Project Manager and EU funding officer in Fundacio Solidaritat (University of Barcelona). She has an academic background in law and political science, writing her minor thesis on EU Immigration Policy.  At JRS, she is project officer, responsible for following up calls for proposals at EU level, as well as coordination and implementation of projects.   hide

Mr Philip Amaral, Policy and Advocacy Officer - europe.advocacy(a)jrs.net

Philip comes from the United States and joined JRS-Europe in September 2007. He has a Master's degree in Social Work from Boston College, and during his final year of study he interned with JRS-Europe for three months. As an intern, Philip focused on the issue of migration and development and assisted JRS with producing new policy positions.  As a Policy and Advocacy Officer, Philip will continue working on migration and development as well as on the issues of destitution and detention of asylum seekers, in addition to other strategic policy and advocacy issues concerning the forcibly displaced. hide

Julian Halbeisen SJ, Projects Assistant - europe.projectsassistant(a)jrs.net

Julian comes from Germany and joined JRS Europe in September 2008. He is a fully qualified lawyer and gained professional experience in public administration before entering the Jesuits. After his basic studies in philosophy with the Jesuit School of Philosophy in Munich, he is now doing his regency in the JRS regional office in Brussels. As a projects assistant, he is focussed on detention of asylum seekers and involved with the Pedro Arrupe Award. hide

Mr Michael Donohoe, Media Officer - europe.media(a)jrs.net

Michael joined the team in March 2008. He comes from Ireland, where he studied Journalism at The Dublin Institute of Technology. While studying he wrote for a number of publications before joining the JRS-Europe office. At the Jesuit Refugee Service he is responsible for communication both between country offices and for JRS-Europe itself in the shape of newsletters, press releases and public awareness raising. hide

Mr Rik De Gendt, Communications Advisor

Rik has worked as a volunteer with JRS for twenty years, especially in the field of media and communications. As a professional journalist with several Belgian daily newspapers and magazines he has reported on JRS-projects in Europe (Great Britain, Italy and former Yugoslavia), Africa (Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Guinée, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Zambia and Malawi) and Asia (Thailand, Cambodia, Philippines, Vietnam, Hong Kong and Macau). At the European office of JRS he is now advisor to the communications department. hide

Mr Gianluigi Campogrande, Advocacy Assistant

Mr Joseph Poncin, Documentation

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