We provide free, independent legal assistance to refugees in Greece and Poland

ELIL believes that every refugee should be able to receive assistance from an independent, experienced lawyer. In 2024, 74.5% of those we assisted were granted asylum, compared to Greek average of 48.4%.

  30k+ 

People Assisted

 11k+ 

Cases Assisted

   400+ 

Volunteers

  8 

Years

ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΑ

DEUTSCH

What We Do

Since 2016, ELIL has provided free, independent legal assistance to refugees in Greece. We have offices in Athens, Lesvos and Thessaloniki. Find out more.

ELIL’s Poland project provides high-quality legal information and assistance to refugees fleeing the conflict in Ukraine and at the Poland/Belarus border. Find out more.

Why Our Work Matters

Volunteer With Us

Since 2016, our operations have been supported, in person and remotely, by over 400 lawyers from 19 different European countries. Together, they have worked to ensure meaningful access to legal assistance for the tens of thousands of asylum seekers stranded in dire conditions.

Support Us

The past years have brought many challenges that have eroded legal access for asylum seekers in Greece. Your contributions can help us provide much needed legal support.

Our Blog

ELIL’s work is made possible by the contribution of staff and volunteers who dedicate their time to defending refugee rights at EU borders. We invite you to meet them and read their stories.

💬 We want to share something positive with you! We asked our lawyers to send us some of the messages they've received from the people we support. These conversations remind us of why legal assistance is so important and how ELIL makes the difference 💚

Today our team in Athens had a first aid course including CPR kindly offered by @mvi_org It was a great and interesting afternoon, which prepared us in case of emergency. Thank you so much for taking the time to explain us every step! ⚕️🏥

⏮️ Looking Back at 2024 This year, the right to seek asylum came under attack in Poland. In October, Poland announced plans to suspend it temporarily. This decision reflects a dangerous trend, as the right to seek asylum in Europe is enshrined in international and European law, including the 1951 Refugee Convention, the European Convention on Human Rights, the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Convention Against Torture, and the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. Despite these challenges, our team of lawyers at the Poland-Belarus border continued assisting refugees access asylum procedures and submitting applications, preventing pushbacks, fighting unlawful detention - especially for families and supporting asylum cases and family reunifications. Behind every statistic lies a story, find out our work in 2024 in the post below

⏮️ Greece - Looking back at 2024. This year has been another challenging one for people on the move. More people arrived seeking safety, yet the number of legal organisations providing support has continued to shrink. At ELIL, we’ve worked hard to adapt to the growing needs. This year, we re-established our full-time presence in Samos and continuously sought ways to provide assistance wherever we could. Here’s an overview of the people we supported this year in Greece. These are not just numbers—they represent the stories of individuals fleeing war and persecution, of children wanting to reunite with their families, and of survivors of domestic and gender based violence. Behind every number lies a story. This work could not have been possible without the work of all the lawyers, interpreters and supporting staff here at ELIL. We are grateful to everyone who supports ELIL as well. To our incredible legal assistants this year—Carla, Clara, Clara, Emma, Eoghan, Eva, Giannis, Guilherme, Jana, Jasmine Ruben, Kiriaki, Lara, Laura, Lia, Margarita, Martin, Megan, Nicola, Quentin, Thomas—thank you for your dedication this year. A heartfelt thank you also goes out to the secondees from the Greece Pro Bono Collaborative, who have given their time and expertise to support our mission. Together, we’ll keep striving for a more just future in 2025.

🎥 2024 is almost over, but it’s been another tough year for people on the move. 🔹 In Greece, refugee arrivals rose by 35%, reaching 57,363—the highest since 2019. Over 13,000 children arrived by sea, a 50% increase from last year. The number of unaccompanied children doubled to 3,000. 🔹 In Poland, over 3,000 pushbacks were reported. Authorities forced people back to Belarus without due process, even when they asked for asylum. Poland now plans to suspend the right to asylum. 🔹 Across Europe, restrictive asylum policies continue to harm vulnerable people, leaving many without protection. At ELIL, we remain committed. This year, we supported over 7000 people with legal assistance. As we look to 2025, we asked our team what keeps them motivated to continue this vital work. Watch the video to hear their reflections. Video credits to the wonderful @hamza.matyaqubov

At 11, Omar was injured by a rocket in his home country. His family fled to Turkey, but life remained unsafe. Omar finally reached Lesvos, hoping to reunite with his sister—the only family he had left. His first request for family reunification was denied, but we didn’t give up. We appealed, gathered evidence, and fought for his rights. Finally, Omar joined his sister and found the support he needed to rebuild his life. Help us continue this work. Donate now to support refugees like Omar. Video credits to the wonderful @hamza.matyaqubov

Stories behind the numbers: The impact of legal assistance Behind every asylum claim is a voice. At ELIL, we offer free legal assistance to people seeking safety, helping them navigate complex asylum systems and ensuring their stories are heard. In this series, we’ll share the stories behind the numbers—the challenges asylum seekers face and the difference legal support can make. One of those stories is about a single mother who arrived in Greece with her two children. They had already faced significant challenges in their search for safety, having fled domestic violence and starting over as a single parent. We worked closely with the family over several sessions to prepare for their asylum interview. Our lawyer accompanied the applicant to every interview, ensuring her story was understood despite the complexities of the system. After months of uncertainty, the family was granted refugee status. This is just one of many stories that show the profound impact legal assistance can have. Stay tuned as we share more stories. To support our work, please visit: www.elil.eu/donate

🌍 Today, on Human Rights Day, we reaffirm our commitment to dignity, equality, and justice for all. At ELIL, we witness daily how these principles are put to the test at Europe’s borders. People arriving in Greece and Poland face significant barriers: ⚖️ Complex asylum procedures ❌ Limited access to legal assistance 🛡️ A lack of protection for their basic rights But we’re working to change that. In Greece, we provide legal support to people seeking asylum from the moment they arrive—whether in camps on the islands or on the mainland. At the Poland-Belarus border, we assist those in precarious situations, often confronting violent pushbacks and detention. 🗨️ What do human rights mean to you? Human Rights Day is also a time for reflection. We asked our team at ELIL to share their thoughts. Here’s what they had to say:

🌟 120,000 hours of volunteering 🌟 What does that mean? It’s the equivalent of: 🕰️ 5,000 days—or nearly 14 years—of non-stop work. 📚 More than 30,000 cases handled 🤝 Giving thousands of people free and independent legal assistance. Volunteers are the backbone of our work at ELIL. From taking notes during interview preparations and conducting legal research to managing the duty phone and being the first point of contact with the people we assist, our legal assistants play a crucial role in ensuring access to legal support for those who need it most. On #WorldVolunteerDay, we celebrate every single person who has given their time to ELIL.💚

✨ This Giving Tuesday: Stand with ELIL ✨ Every month, 1,500 refugees cross the Poland-Belarus border, and more than 46,000 have arrived in Greece this year. These individuals are fleeing violence, persecution, and uncertainty—yet in their search for safety, they face even more challenges. Since 2016, ELIL has been there. On the ground in Greece and Poland, we provide the critical legal assistance refugees need to navigate the complex asylum systems. Our work isn’t just about paperwork—it’s about human rights and dignity. But the challenges are immense. In Greece, the asylum process is fast-tracked and often takes just three days, leaving little room for refugees to understand their rights or seek support. In Poland, refugees face violence, pushbacks, and detention, all while an increasingly hostile environment makes survival even harder. Despite these obstacles, our work has made a real impact: ✅ In Greece, working with our team more than doubles the chance of being granted asylum. ✅ In Poland, we’ve maintained a 100% success rate in preventing pushbacks. But there is still so much to be done. The number of arrivals continues to rise, and legal aid remains a rarity. Thousands of refugees remain without the support they need. 💡 This is where YOU come in. Your support can ensure that hundreds of refugees each month receive the legal help they need—from navigating the asylum process to reuniting families, protecting unaccompanied children, and defending against pushbacks. This Giving Tuesday, your donation is more than just a gift—it’s a lifeline. 💙 To make a difference today, visit: www.elil.eu/donate Video credits to the wonderful @hamza.matyaqubov