Our Social Impact
ELIL: Providing a legal lifeline for refugees seeking asylum in Greece
European Lawyers in Lesvos (ELIL) was founded in mid-2016 in response to the refugee crisis affecting Greece following a deal struck between the EU and Turkey, which meant that refugees already in Greece — or who subsequently arrived in Greece — were stuck in asylum limbo.
“What we established ourselves to do as an NGO was draw upon European legal solidarity and create a system whereby asylum lawyers from across Europe come to Greece on a voluntary basis and provide free legal assistance to refugees going through the asylum process, and in particular help them prepare for their asylum interview, which is the crucial part of the procedure,” explains Phil Worthington, Managing Director of ELIL.
Phil says there was also a huge appetite and capacity for law firms that didn’t necessarily have asylum lawyers in their firms to support ELIL. In 2019, the “Greece Pro Bono Collaboration” was formed by six law firms, including Charles Russell Speechlys, to realise that ambition.
Remote secondments
As part of the collaborative effort, lawyers are seconded pro bono to ELIL for two weeks at a time to help prepare refugees for their asylum interviews and support Greek and European asylum lawyers in preparing cases. The secondments took place in-person pre-pandemic and Partner Rose Carey was the first person from Charles Russell Speechlys to participate in the programme in late 2019. Her visit to the Moria refugee camp in Lesvos was an eye-opening experience. “It had a profound effect on me,” she recalls. “It helped me reconnect with why I became a lawyer in the first place and what was important to me, and that was ultimately helping people. That’s why I became a lawyer.” However, when the pandemic took hold in 2020, borders were shut down and for a few months the secondments stopped. The Firm played a key role in helping to reignite the initiative.
“Kerry Stares, Partner for Responsible Business and Pro Bono at Charles Russell Speechlys, was one of the main drivers in getting us going with a remote model because for a few months, we didn't know what to do,” says Phil. “Our team in Greece was working but, with travel restricted, we just didn't know how to get the secondees involved. But we switched to Zoom and the remote model actually worked really well. It was a really positive experience in the circumstances.”
Lawyers participating in the Pro Bono Collaboration started going back to Greece in-person in summer 2022 though with many still offering crucial support remotely. A hybrid approach of in-person and remote secondments will always be the plan — allowing secondees the chance to still support this vital project from home.
Take a look at our video to learn more about the Greece Pro Bono Collaboration.
“From our perspective, the collaboration has been extremely positive and successful, and I think it's one of the first collaborations like this on an international basis, where an NGO has partnered with law firms with pro bono lawyers assisting.”
Phil Worthington, Managing Director, European Lawyers in Lesvos
Alumni • Legal Notices • Accessibility • Privacy Notice • Fraudulent or 'scam' communication • Complaints Procedure • COVID Secure Certification • Pricing Information
© Charles Russell Speechlys 2022. Solicitors Regulation Authority number 420625.