As Senior Program Officer with the Asylum Program, Tessa Wilson supports the Program’s research and advocacy initiatives with colleagues in the asylum medicine and human rights movements, academic partners, PHR’s Asylum Network of clinicians, and medical school asylum clinics around the country.
Tessa comes to PHR with significant experience in asylum systems. Prior to joining PHR, Tessa was based in London, UK where she served as Assistant Director, and prior to that, Senior Executive Officer, at the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration, an independent Government body. In these roles, Tessa led and supported inspections on border and immigration functions and served as a member of the senior leadership team. Tessa’s work included inspections into asylum casework and refugee resettlement, among other areas, with all reports laid before Parliament.
Earlier in her career, Tessa was an Advocacy and Casework Coordinator at Refugee Women Connect, a not-for-profit organization focused on aiding women refugees and survivors of trafficking. Additionally, she served as an Outreach Worker, where she oversaw drop-ins that provided vital services to refugee women, including casework assistance and other community-based support.
Tessa has also volunteered as a caseworker for Refugee Action, where she helped newly-arrived asylum seekers in Liverpool, UK, with asylum support applications. Tessa holds a BA in Philosophy from the University of Liverpool. She is based in New York.