A.Ss.I.S.T.
“If we are to claim the rights that civil law gives to us or to perform the obligations that it imposes on us, it is important to know what our rights and obligations are. Otherwise we cannot claim the rights or perform the obligations. It is not much use being entitled to… ” for example, international protection “… if you cannot reasonably easily discover your entitlement and how you set about claiming it. Equally you cannot perform a duty ….. unless you know what you are meant to do. ”
– Tom Bingham in ‘The Rule of Law’ 2010
OUR WORK:
At A.Ss.I.S.T., we are committed to upholding fundamental human rights. Through a holistic approach to service delivery, we support asylum seekers and refugees throughout Greece with free information and legal services. Recognising their vulnerability and respecting their autonomy, we prioritise marginalised groups, providing tailored support to overcome the many challenges that they face daily. Our partnerships extend beyond legal aid to offer essential services for well-being and integration.
Our vision is ‘fair process for all who seek protection from war, persecution and harm.’
Our mission is to contribute to fair process by supporting asylum seekers and refugees to exercise their rights and meet their obligations in accordance with Asylum and Migration (A&M) Law in Greece through the provision free accurate and up-to-date information and professional legal services in all matters related to A&M Law.
All persons seeking international protection in Greece must navigate a complex, opaque legal system, facing language and cultural barriers, and continued hardship created by poor living conditions, pre-existing trauma exacerbated by limited welfare services, by incertitude and imposed detention. Beneficiaries of international protection also face socio-economic and bureaucratic barriers to settling in Greece or in other European Union countries.
Asylum seekers continue to arrive in large numbers on the Aegean and Dodecanese Islands, Greece. From July 03 to December 31, 2023, according to UNHCR statistics, 32,415 people seeking asylum arrived by boat on the Greek Islands from Turkey, of whom 1,849 arrived on Chios Island. In 01 January and 25 February 2024, a further 6,992 people arrived, of whom 854 arrived on Chios Island. Asylum seekers continue to arrive in large numbers on the Aegean and Dodecanese Islands, Greece. From July 03 to December 31, 2023, according to UNHCR statistics, 32,415 people seeking asylum arrived by boat on the Greek Islands from Turkey, of whom 1,849 arrived on Chios Island. In 01 January and 25 February 2024, a further 6,992 people arrived, of whom 854 arrived on Chios Island.
Their journeys move us to assist and strengthen our
commitment. Their courage and resilience fuels our
admiration.
OUR HISTORY
From June 2017, “Emergency Legal Aid” (ELA), originally an initiative under the umbrella of Choosehumanity-Switzerland, began providing legal services to persons having received two rejections against their application for international protection. ELA case experience made it clear that early intervention in the provision of accurate information, preparation for, and legal representation at, key interviews, where deemed necessary, could have avoided some of the serious misunderstandings resulting in unjust decisions.
In 2018, a pilot project to to evaluate the potential development of , accumulated requisite information and useful insights to instruct service delivery design and to identify either design improvements or alternative solutions. Since mid-2019, A.Ss.I.S.T. has been providing free information services and legal aid to asylum seekers in Vial Reception and Identification Centre on Chios Island, Greece through the good services of volunteer Legal Advisors (VLAs -qualified EU lawyers) and a team of volunteer interpreters, all of whom were themselves asylum seekers.
Pre-COVID 2020, A.Ss.I.S.T. was delivering information sessions and bulletins and preparing people for interview working with a team of international volunteer lawyers, coordinators and a cohort of interpreter/translators from the asylum seeker/refugee communities.Adjusting to the restrictions imposed by the COVID19 pandemic, A.Ss.I.S.T. services continued uninterrupted by remote service delivery via secure internet connections.
Since July 2020, two associate Greek lawyers based on Chios have been working with the Team as contracted service providers 1 and A.Ss.I.S.T.’s range of services expanded significantly. As many legal services can only be performed by Greek lawyers. While internationall lawyers can preparing people for key interview(s) and respond to most procedural questions, only Greek lawyers can submit family reunification applications, appeals and subsequent applications and represent clients before the diverse range of Greek authorities responsible for the enforcement of asylum law. Our Greek lawyers provide support to clients in navigating Greek bureaucracy, and to A.Ss.I.S.T. volunteers by providing on the job training to team members and structured workshops on the “Do’s and Don’t’s of Interpreting for
Lawyers’.
From September 2021, A.Ss.I.S.T. services expanded to optimize our capacity to support the demand for legal services on other Islands and on mainland Greece through referrals received from other organisations and from applicants and BIPs. Our referral form is available here
From March 2022 to October 2023 , A.Ss.I.S.T. also benefitted from the services of one Athens-based lawyer establishing our presence in Athens. With the current funding gap in late 2023, it is to be seen if we will have the sources to maintain a presence in Athens. The latest mobile-friendly client feedback form in 7 languages is available here.
In October 2023, we amended our Statutes to become a non-profit private company and we move forward into 2024 with a stronger, more participative governing board: three partners, each with relevant experience working with asylum seekers in Greece and of diverse backgrounds enriching the quality of
advice available to the Team.
2024 – Forward planning. Due to funding constraints, A.Ss.I.S.T. is currently examining the potential for the Team to reinvent itself. We believe that to lose the experience gained providing these services should not be lost or abandoned. We must adjust and adapt to the needs of our clients based on the resources
available.
Stay tuned to this website and our social media pages to learn more about our services.
Contact us
Click here to donate to A.Ss.I.S.T.