Kids in Need of Defence (KIND)

Kids in Need of Defense (KIND) is an organization founded in 2008 in the US to address gaps in legal services for unaccompanied children. Through strategic partnerships, they provide pro bono legal representation for refugee and migrant children. Over the past decade, KIND has expanded its services to develop a holistic strategy for addressing the needs of these children and the systemic causes of forced migration.

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Among the thousands of asylum seekers on the Aegean islands, there are many unaccompanied children. These children face a variety of complex legal issues, especially those who have been incorrectly registered as adults, and it is therefore crucial that they have legal assistance. The need is particularly pressing for unaccompanied children registered as adults - it is very difficult for young people to overturn an age assessment decision, especially without the assistance of a lawyer, and from the moment they are assessed as an adult they are accommodated with the general population in the camp, leading to significant protection risks.

Over the past five years, ELIL has become a primary provider of legal assistance to unaccompanied children. Our team of lawyers works to identify such cases – coordinating closely with child protection actors, such as UNHCR and the Greek NGO Praksis – and then to seek to provide legal support as necessary.

In 2019, KIND partnered with ELIL to help provide legal assistance to unaccompanied children on Lesvos. Thanks to their generous support, legal assistance has been provided to hundreds of unaccompanied children.  

As a partner of KIND Europe, we also work to connect ELIL's on-the-ground experience with expert NGOs in the field of migration and child rights and press for systemic change at EU level.