ECRE/ELENA Survey on Legal Aid for Asylum Seekers in Europe
- Document number
- 2534
- Date
- 2010
- Title
- ECRE/ELENA Survey on Legal Aid for Asylum Seekers in Europe
- Author/publisher
- European Council on Refugees and Exile (ECRE), European Legal Network on Asylum (ELENA)
- Availability
- View/save PDF version of this document
- Document type(s)
- Guidelines/Recommendations, Media/News, Research/Study/Analysis,
- Keywords
- Irregular Migration, Feminization of migration, Economic migration, Labour migration, Free movement, Undocumented migrants; Undocumented labour; Migrant rights; Migration management; Comprehensive approach to migration; Migration policy; Violence, Human rights violation, Crime against humanity, War crime, Armed conflict, Post-conflict situation, Terrorism,
- Summary
- This survey provides a comparative overview of the provision of legal aid for asylum seekers in 19 countries across Europe. It gathers information not only on the role and tasks of those advising, assisting and representing asylum seekers but also on related aspects of the asylum procedure. For the individuals and families seeking protection, the asylum procedure may be the most important process they experience in their lifetime. Indeed, for those fleeing persecution or serious harm it may mean the difference between finding safety and security and being sent back to human rights violations or worse. Due to the potentially irreversible consequences of erroneous decisions, safeguards are needed to ensure that those in need of international protection are recognised as such. One essential safeguard is the provision of quality legal aid for asylum seekers. Asylum seekers face numerous obstacles due to the very nature of their vulnerable situation. Factors such as the severe traumatisation, isolation due to language barriers and the lack of support all hinder their effective access to justice. 1 Therefore it is imperative that they receive quality legal advice at the earliest stage possible in the asylum procedure.
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