Refugee Legal Support

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Refugee Legal Support

Photos © Sarah Booker Photography We accept referrals from professionals in these email addresses as well.

Refugee Legal Support is a registered charity (no 1191680) in England and a non-profit company in Greece offering free legal support to people on the move in solidarity. Started in April 2017, UK-based experienced immigration and asylum lawyers (barristers, solicitors and case-workers) travelled to Athens to provide pro bono support to refugees and Greek lawyers. Four years in, RLS has assisted ov

er 700 people with their asylum and family reunification cases in an empowering and dignified way. The RLS-Athens legal clinic works in partnership with Greek lawyers and legal organisations on issues pertaining specifically to the Greek asylum process. The main priorities of our work are:
1) Asylum interview preparation;
2) Family Reunification under the Dublin Regulations and under the UK Immigration Rules

For advice in relation to your asylum case or family reunification under the Dublin Regulations, send an email to [email protected] . If you require assistance with family reunion with a family member in the UK, send an email to [email protected].

06/18/2026

This Refugee Week, the theme is “Courage.”

At RLS, we see the courage our clients are forced to show every day. Courage isn’t always loud or bold. Speaking up, asking for help, sharing your story, and simply persevering each day are all important forms of showing courage.

This week also marks 75 years since the 1951 Refugee Convention, which promised rights to education, housing, justice and legal protections. However, there’s still a significant gap between what was promised, and what people on the move actually experience.

We’re proud to share that we’ve recently founded our first Lived Experience Advisory Panel (LEAP), bringing together six members with different experiences of the UK asylum system.

Joining LEAP takes a huge amount of courage. Members are drawing on their own experiences that may have been painful or dehumanising, and using their insights to help improve things for others.

We’re so grateful to our new LEAP members, and we look forward to sharing more about the Panel’s work in the months ahead.

06/17/2026

We’re proud to share that our latest guide, “Supporting Survivors of Torture: A Guide for Professionals,” is now available.

Produced in collaboration with Trauma Treatment International, Care4Calais, and Women for Refugee Women, this is a practical guide for anyone working in the sector. It explains how you can adopt a trauma-informed approach when working with survivors of torture.

Thank you to the individuals with lived experience of torture who courageously shared their stories to create this document.

Read the guide here: https://refugeelegalsupport.org/publications/supporting-survivors-of-torture-a-guide-for-professionals

06/10/2026

International borders are not human rights-free zones.

Yet reports increasingly document widespread abuses at EU borders, including unlawful profiling, torture, gender-based violence and arbitrary detention.

For survivors, justice is rarely within reach. Legal remedies can be slow, inaccessible, and ineffective for people seeking safety who often lack representation, face language barriers, or are constantly on the move.

Legal practitioners can and do play a critical role as human rights defenders, standing up for survivors of border violence.

That’s why we’ve created “Border Violence – Complaints and Litigation: A Practitioner’s Guide.”

This guide aims to equip legal professionals with the tools to identify and navigate international complaints mechanisms, challenge impunity, and secure accountability for survivors.

Access the guide here: https://refugeelegalsupport.org/legal-services/border-violence-guide

Please share with your networks. Together, we can work to uphold the fundamental rights of all people at international borders.

05/14/2026

Join RLS for the London Legal Walk 2026!

On Tuesday 9th June, we’ll be taking part in a 10km sponsored walk across Central London.

It’s a great opportunity to get together with the RLS team, supporters and friends, and walk in solidarity with people seeking safety.

We’d love to see you there!

👟What: a 10km sponsored walk across London
📅When: Tuesday 9th June 2025
🕔Time: we’ll meet around 5pm at Carey Street, WC2A
✅How to sign up: complete this form https://forms.office.com/e/s4XbDr2sDD

If can’t make it, you can still cheer us on by sponsoring the team on our fundraising page! https://londonlegalsupporttrust.enthuse.com/pf/refugee-legal-support-2026

04/28/2026

Misinformation, confusion and despair are rife in refugee camps in Greece.

These camps are the only accommodation the government provides to asylum seekers. They’re all located outside urban centres, away from essential services and legal support.

Lucy, a lawyer and RLS's Project Coordinator in Greece, regularly visits these camps. She creates more welcoming outside the camps where residents can get legal advice and information, ask questions, and be connected to other services like employment support, language classes and mental health care.

Without these visits, misinformation spreads quickly, and many people would be left to navigate a complex, hostile asylum system alone.

Our CrowdJustice campaign is still running, and we have 10 days to meet our target. Please visit our campaign page and make a pledge today so we can continue visiting refugee camps and providing vital legal support: https://www.crowdjustice.com/case/stand-with-people-facing-a-hostile-system/

04/20/2026

We’re delighted to share that our Afghan Pro Bono Initiative (APBI) has won the LexisNexis Award for Best Pro Bono Project!

APBI was created following the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, to address the urgent need for Afghans to access legal information, advice, and representation concerning safe routes to the UK.

Since then, the project has consistently provided legal representation to 284 Afghans, one-off advice to over 500 more, and reliable legal information to more than 2,000 people.

A huge thank you to our partner firms, whose commitment to pro bono work and to working to support the Afghan community has been invaluable to this project.

We’re so proud of this recognition, and we’re grateful to everyone who has consistently contributed their time, expertise, and dedication to supporting the Afghan community.

04/15/2026

Today we’re launching our new strategy for 2026-2028.

As migration routes narrow and the asylum system becomes increasingly hostile, there’s an urgent need for high quality legal support.

Our new strategy will guide us through the next few years, and it sets out how we’ll respond to this growing crisis whilst reflecting our vision and values in everything we do.

You can read the full strategy on our website: https://refugeelegalsupport.org/post/our-strategy-2026-2028

We’re currently running a CrowdJustice appeal to ensure we can continue standing with people seeking safety and providing vital legal support. If you’re able to, please visit our page and pledge today: https://www.crowdjustice.com/case/stand-with-people-facing-a-hostile-system/

04/09/2026

Governments in the UK and Greece are making it harder than ever for people on the move to find safety.

Changes to their asylum systems are deliberate choices, designed to deter, to exclude, and to make things harder for people seeking safety.

Legal support is one of the most powerful ways to fight back.

We’re raising £7,000 to keep vital legal support within reach for people on the move.

Together, we can stand alongside people seeking safety as they face an increasingly hostile asylum system.

Please visit our CrowdJustice page and pledge today: https://www.crowdjustice.com/case/stand-with-people-facing-a-hostile-system/

04/07/2026

At RLS, we believe the people most affected by the asylum and immigration system should have a voice in shaping the support we provide.

That’s why we’re excited to launch our Lived Experience Advisory Panel (LEAP)!

The Panel will bring together up to nine people with direct experience of the UK asylum process, refugee resettlement, or criminalisation for their method of arrival in the UK as an asylum seeker.

As a member, you’ll help us:
➡️ Identify gaps in legal information and support for affected communities
➡️ Understand the barriers communities face when accessing legal support and information
➡️ Review and improve the materials and services we provide

You’ll engage in group discussions, review draft materials, and provide feedback based on personal experiences and the broader experiences of the communities you represent.

The Panel runs from May to December 2026, with approximately seven sessions held during this time. Participation will be recognised with a £30 store voucher per 2-hour session, and travel costs for in-person meetings will be covered.

🚨 Applications close on Wednesday 22nd April. You can find full details of the role how to apply here: https://refugeelegalsupport.org/post/lived-experience-advisory-panel-invitation-for-participation

If you or someone you know has lived experience of the UK asylum system and wants to help make legal support more accessible for communities, we’d love to hear from you!

03/17/2026

Using our knowledge and expertise to help frontline organisations feel more confident supporting refugees and people seeking asylum is a key part of our work.

In Greece, RLS’s Lucy Alper provides regular training to Medical Solidarity International (MSI). These sessions are designed to provide a legal overview, and to provide history and context regarding the situation for refugees in Greece.

Lucy has received positive feedback from attendees, who note that the sessions are easy to understand even if they have no existing knowledge of the asylum system in Greece.

The coordinator at MSI stated that Lucy “provides a powerful overview of the asylum system’s complexity, international differences, and the significant obstacles displaced individuals face. [...] My team are deeply impressed by the depth and scope of Lucy’s presentation. [...] We are very grateful for such multifaceted, informative, and deeply moving sessions.”

Address

Αθήνα, TX

Website

https://www.refugeelegalsupport.org/

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