Diavata refugee camp © Mattia Bidoli, 2023
About Ela
Who we are
Equal Legal Aid is the only organisation providing full-spectrum pro bono legal aid in northern Greece, from registering an asylum application to the highest level of appeal. Founded in 2020, ELA provides free legal services to displaced people across northern Greece at every stage of the asylum procedure. Since 2020, ELA's team of lawyers and interpreters has provided long-term legal support to 4,700+ asylum seekers from 53 countries.
Our values
Independence
We are politically and financially independent of any government, ideology, economic interest or religion. Our independence guarantees our freedom of expression, action, and resilience.
Emancipation
We inform people of their rights so they can make informed decisions, participate actively in their procedure, and rebuild their futures independently.
Solidarity
We believe that European civil society must unequivocally uphold the right to asylum and the dignity of displaced people.
The principles guiding our work
QUALITY
Pro bono does not mean second-rate. We maintain professional standards through training, recruitment, and supervision.
INCLUSION
Our programme is unconditional and only limited by our resources. Our "open door" policy is combined with outreach to make our services accessible to as many people as possible.
FLEXIBILITY
Our operational flexibility is essential if we are to respond effectively to the needs, in a complex and ever-changing political and legal environment.
CONTINUITY
A stable core team, diligent financial planning and complementary services ensure uninterrupted action since 2020.
Our activities
Equal Legal Aid provides legal assistance and representation to applicants for international protection and other displaced persons in northern Greece, with a view to safeguarding their procedural and substantive rights throughout asylum and related procedures. Our work combines mobile outreach, individual legal counseling, representation before administrative and judicial bodies, and strategic advocacy aimed at addressing systemic deficiencies in access to asylum.
Access to asylum
Greece's asylum system is one of the most hostile in Europe. Successive legal reforms in recent years have made the asylum procedure increasingly complex and restrictive. These reforms have created a system in which procedural obstacles routinely prevent people from exercising their right to asylum. The barriers faced by asylum seekers are deeply entrenched, with additional obstacles accumulating over time. Asylum seekers are trapped in prolonged legal uncertainty, and in some cases are entirely prevented from having their asylum claims meaningfully examined. Most are exposed to extreme and inhumane living conditions in facilities that resemble places of detention rather than reception centres. Ultimately, many are denied effective access to international protection.
© Régis Defurnaux, 2021
Access to justice
Even after formally registering an application for international protection, effective access to justice remains elusive. Complex and fast‑moving admissibility and accelerated procedures, very short deadlines, the lack or suspension of state‑funded legal aid, the high cost of private representation and the expansion of detention and punitive migration laws all combine to make it extremely difficult for asylum seekers to obtain independent legal advice or to challenge unlawful decisions. Procedural rights such as the right to be heard, the right to an effective remedy and the right to a fair trial are routinely undermined in practice.
Diavata refugee camp © Régis Defurnaux, 2021
Our supporters in 2026
In 2026, ELA’s work receives support from Acquis, CCFD-Terre Solidaire, Choose Love, Civil Rights Defenders, Data for good, For Refugees, the Fund for Global Human Rights, Haëlla Foundation, Humanity Now, the Riza Fund, Solidaritee, Un Monde Par Tous, and UNIFOR Social Justice Fund. Our warmest thanks to our donors and supporters who are making this work possible.
Annual reports
Accountability
As an organisation, it is essential that we understand the needs and circumstances of the people we support, in all their diversity, and that the programme we deliver is responsive. Our Accountability to the Affected Population framework is focused on four pillars:
Accountability
In the media
Info Migrants
2026-05-05
Prize and awards
Our association has been honoured with the Pro Bono Trophy 2023, the Agir par le Droit prize awarded by Medici law firm in 2022 and 2024, and the Ockenden International Prize 2026.
These distinctions matter deeply to us, as they represent recognition from our peers and partners in the field, and affirm the relevance of our work, the commitment of our team, and the trust placed in our efforts to defend rights, support the most vulnerable, and help build lasting, dignified solutions.
