We are proud to announce the release of our new series: Lost in a legal maze, 10+1 untold stories of asylum seekers in Europe, produced with the support of Heinrich Böll Stiftung Greece. This video series aims to reveal the difficulties of navigating a legal system designed to fail them.
In these five-minute episodes, filmed in Greece in November 2023, eleven asylum seekers supported by ELA, in different stages of their asylum procedures, share on camera their own legal journey – from pushbacks to unjustified rejections to retroactive laws.
Asylum systems in Europe, constantly revised, have become increasingly complex and have turned into a re-traumatising experience for many. Access to international protection is being heavily obstructed by EU and member-states’ migration policies severely affecting people’s mental stability, health, and safety. This Europe-wide strategy has a purpose: to reduce the number of refugees arriving in the continent and to keep those already here out of sight, often in isolated detention sites at the EU’s external borders. These methods will be exacerbated with the implementation of the New Pact on Migration and Asylum recently adopted by the EU institutions.
Independence and dignity begin with the possession of legal documents. Without them, people on the move are stuck in a limbo, lost in a legal maze, deprived of access to health care, work and education.
Europe must live up to its commitments to provide protection and guarantee the respect of human rights for all. Europe must ensure that people in danger can ask for international protection without risking their lives.
Read more about the project and discover the videos here!
– The 11 videos are broadcast on social media from 6 May to 8 June 2024.
Production: Heinrich Böll Foundation – Thessaloniki Office
Executive production: Equal Legal Aid
Director: Sideris Nanoudis – Homo Ludens Productions
