- What is happening in Greece?
Since 2015, Greece has been one of the first points of entry into the European Union for thousands of exiles fleeing persecutions.To date, around 70,000 asylum applications are pending before the Greek authorities.
During the long and very complex asylum procedure, the assistance of a lawyer is essential. The right to the assistance of a lawyer is also a right guaranteed, both by international texts and by Greek legislation: “During the procedure, you have the right to request the assistance of a lawyer” (source: Greek Ministry of Migration and Asylum website).
Of all the daily challenges faced by asylum seekers and migrants living in Greece, legal aid is one of the most immediate and pressing. The Greek Asylum Service is overstretched. With no state funded legal aid scheme for asylum seekers and a handful of non-profits providing pro-bono legal help, asylum seekers are left in limbo with little to no support.