The majority of refugees in Greece neither receive assistance from a lawyer before receiving a first decision on their asylum claim nor before applying to reunite with their family members elsewhere in the EU. Greek lawyers are underfunded; demand for legal assistance unmet.

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That is where we come in.

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To fill this gap, our volunteer lawyers travel to Athens and offer free, expert legal assistance to refugees. Our clients come to us either as walk-ins to the clinic or by referral from Greek organisations.

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Our main priorities are:

 

1. Empowering refugees to advocate for themselves by preparing them for their substantive asylum interviews

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2. Identifying and assisting in obtaining necessary evidence

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3. Assisting refugees to make applications to reunite with their family members elsewhere in Europe through the Dublin reunification procedure or the relevant EU member state's family reunion process

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4. Providing training to refugees as community interpreters to empower them to gain sustainable life-long skills

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We may also be able to provide advice or assistance in other areas, including referrals to other relevant bodies such as the Greek Asylum Service, embassies or for medical assessment.

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From time to time, we collaborate with Greek organisations to provide 'Know your rights' legal information workshops to refugees in and around Athens.

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At present, RLS is unable to provide court representation in Greece relating to asylum applications.

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We fund our work through individual donations and support from organisations that do not threaten the project's independence or our ability to assist refugees.