Arrivals of refugees to Greece doubled in 2023 (over 48,500 people in total). This was by far the highest number since 2019. The need for legal assistance is increasing as the asylum procedure gets quicker, stricter and more complex. However, many organisations are withdrawing or downsizing. This means that, although the need is increasing, the number of lawyers is decreasing.
Ιn Poland, over 30,000 refugees crossed the Poland-Belarus border during 2023, mostly from Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq, Somalia and Sudan. They face extreme dangers, violent pushbacks and prolonged detention. However, there is a profound shortage of legal assistance, with only a small number of asylum lawyers working across the entire country.
ELIL provides crucial legal support directly at the borders in both Greece and Poland. Our work is impactful and effective. In Greece, if a refugee meets with our legal team, they are more than twice as likely, on average, to be granted asylum. In Poland, we ensure refugees can access the asylum process and have a 100% success rate in preventing pushbacks at the Poland-Belarus border. Our team also supports thousands of refugees from Ukraine in five locations across Warsaw.
In 2023, ELIL assisted over 6,000 people in Greece and Poland. We need your support to continue our work. Your donations will help us expand our teams in both countries, recruit more lawyers and provide vital legal support to uphold the rule of law and protect human rights for refugees at EU borders.
You can donate by debit/credit card using the form to the left or via bank transfer (account details below), PayPal or BetterPlace. We are extremely grateful for all donations.
All donors can be provided with a donation receipt upon request. Donors in Germany will receive a donation receipt compliant with German law.