"Everything would be difficult without Fenix guidance. It will be like a person who is standing in front of a crossroad and doesn't know which way to go"
- woman from Afghanistan
When people who have fled violence, war and persecution arrive to Greece, one of the main doorsteps to Europe, to exercise the fundamental right to seek asylum, they face many obstacles and violations. This includes prolonged stays in undignified camps, a lack of access to the most basic needs, and an asylum procedure that systematically denies their rights. With little or no information or legal guidance, people seeking international protection have to try and navigate the complex asylum procedure that will define their legal recognition as a refugee. This hostile context not only severely impacts their physical and mental health, but also their chances of living their lives in safety.
Fenix works to provide legal support with the conviction that a traditional approach to legal aid is insufficient in assisting people who seek refuge. We don’t see people who seek refuge as mere legal cases, but as individuals with their own, intersecting needs and skills, who are deserving of a more holistic approach to legal aid as they endure traumas of violence and displacement. Besides, structural change in laws and policy is required to ensure dignified and effective access to the right to seek asylum.
We provide a unique service that includes the interdisciplinary collaboration of lawyers, psychologists and protection officers in one case to address the legal, medical, mental health, material and social needs of our clients in a holistic way, focused on dignity, empowerment and accessing rights.
We use field based information to put rights violations on the agenda of relevant stakeholders, including law and policy makers and civil society. We pursue impact litigation before Greek and European Courts and legal interventions to Greek, European and International complaint mechanisms.
We provide individual and group information sessions and support groups to the asylum seeking community, aiming to create safe spaces to engage and empower through information and support. We also train other actors on the asylum process and refugee reception system to help them better place their services in the wider context of the system of refugee protection.
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