Advocates Abroad

Results: Advocates Abroad has accomplished many of its original goals involving the free, effective, and prompt provision of legal aid and MHPSS care for asylum applicants. For example, over 10,000 individuals in Europe have been assisted in gaining protection and safety due to the services of Advocates Abroad teams since 2016. Advocates abroad has also accomplished its goal of encouraging new lawyers and graduating law students to serve in the field of asylum law. Since 2016, Advocates Abroad has partnered with four law schools in multiple countries to train students and professors remotely and supervise their efforts to assist Advocates Abroad teams on the ground in Greece. These students and professors have also worked with Advocates Abroad teams to publish two significant academic reviews on current issues in asylum law, specifically, detention practices of asylum applicants in the EU and discrimination of asylum applicants in accessing asylum services in the EU. Since 2017, the MHPSS teams of Advocates Abroad have served several thousand asylum applicants and refugees through remote and on the ground mental health and psychological care clinics. The MHPSS teams have drafted psychological evaluations for asylum interviews and appeals, as well as Best Interest Assessments for minors seeking family reunification. These teams have also provided hundreds of pro bono hours for talk therapy and general counselling for suicidal and troubled asylum applicants and refugees. Lastly, these teams have also led weekly trauma care training sessions since 2018 for the Advocates Abroad teams to better equip these field and remote teams in sensitive interview prep, ethical care, and healthy coping mechanisms for secondary trauma. Advocates Abroad has also branched out to providing community service during the time of the 2020-2021 COVID 19 pandemic by raising funds for masks, hand sanitizers, and other personal protection equipment in order to distribute these items among the Greek island asylum applicant, refugee, and local communities. For example, more than 14,500 masks have been distributed by the Lesvos Advocates Abroad team since August 2020.

Target demographics: Asylum Applicants and refugees

Direct beneficiaries per year: 750 asylum applicants and refugees

Geographic areas served: Greece, Italy, Turkey, Switzerland

Programs: legal aid clinics, MHPSS clinics, information distribution campaigns, personal protection equipment (masks & hand sanitizers) campaigns