SOMAIA'S STORY
When Somaia fled Syria with her family, she never expected to find herself alone with her young son in a foreign city. But at age 33, after never having lived on her own, she and six-year-old Aboudi found themselves marooned in Athens.
“All my family is in Norway or in Germany. I can’t stay here,” she thought. “In my culture, if you are a single mum with small children, you can’t stay alone.”
A Palestinian who grew up in Syria, Somaia fled the devastating civil war there with Aboudi and 12 other family members. It was a long and dangerous journey, first on foot out of Syria into Turkey and then on a boat across the sea to Greece.
"I feel I am free now. I feel I have a future."
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VOLUNTEER LAWYERSThe RLS-Athens clinic consists of a small number of lawyers qualified in asylum and international protection law with EU Common Asylum System experience providing legal assistance on a rota basis. These lawyers will work on a pro bono basis, although their casework-related expenses will be covered. Their role is to give legal assistance to those requiring asylum and international protection. They will be supported on the ground by project coordinators and legal support volunteers who are engaged on a longer-term basis in order to ensure continuing support for our clients.
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OTHER VOLUNTEERSWe are always in need of help from people who have the following skill sets: - language skills, particularly in Greek, Arabic, Farsi, Urdu, Kurdish Sorani, German and French - media / journalist writing experience - marketing / fundraising experience - IT, web design and coding skills If you have any of these skills, please contact us to volunteer!
ALI'S STORY
Ali Abdul*, a 28-year-old senior policeman, fled Afghanistan with his pregnant wife and two young sons.
They travelled safely to Greece, but got stuck there. His wife and two sons were eventually able to travel to Germany, where his wife gave birth to a third son who was diagnosed with a number of serious medical conditions. There, his wife struggled to cope alone with a sick baby and two small children.
Ali applied several times for permission to join his family in Germany, but was unsuccessful until assisted by Refugee Legal Support, who filed an urgent application for family reunification, which was granted by German officials. He was able to join his family in October, just 3 months after RLS helped him file a claim.
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VOLUNTEER LAWYERSThe RLS-Athens clinic consists of a small number of lawyers qualified in asylum and international protection law with EU Common Asylum System experience providing legal assistance on a rota basis. These lawyers will work on a pro bono basis, although their casework-related expenses will be covered. Their role is to give legal assistance to those requiring asylum and international protection. They will be supported on the ground by project coordinators and legal support volunteers who are engaged on a longer-term basis in order to ensure continuing support for our clients.
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OTHER VOLUNTEERSWe are always in need of help from people who have the following skill sets: - language skills, particularly in Greek, Arabic, Farsi, Urdu, Kurdish Sorani, German and French - media / journalist writing experience - marketing / fundraising experience - IT, web design and coding skills If you have any of these skills, please contact us to volunteer!
*All names have been changed to protect identities.