Legal Support for a Syrian Family Separated by Conflict and Displacement

Rasha (*fictional name) is a Syrian woman, married and the mother of two young children. She and her husband grew up together; their families knew each other long before they were married. 

At the outbreak of the Syrian conflict, Rasha’s husband refused to join the Syrian government forces. To avoid compulsory military service, he moved temporarily to  an area controlled by the Free Syrian Army. Because of this choice, Rasha’s family was seen as opposing the government. 

Due to the threats and persecution they had faced because of their political views, Rasha and her husband fled Syria and settled in Türkiye. Rasha’s children were born in Türkiye; after their birth, she stayed at home to take care of them. This put her in a more vulnerable position; looking after young children, she depended heavily on her husband. 

The main risk that the family faced still stemmed from Rasha’s husband’s refusal to perform military service. In Syria, prolonged draft evasion and political disloyalty expose individuals and their families to serious harm, including arrest, detention, and ill-treatment by state authorities or other actors.

As the situation in Syria developed, Turkish authoriries began promoting the narrative that the country was safe for return, raising the pressure to leave voluntarily or be returned forcibly. For Rasha, returning to Syria as a woman with two young children and no independent means of support was neither safe nor sustainable.

After almost a decade in Türkiye, Rasha arrived on a Greek island with her children. Her husband had already left Türkiye for Germany with his brother. In Germany, Rasha’s husband was granted subsidiary protection and later secured employment.

In Greece, Rasha faced significant legal and procedural challenges, because she arrived on a remote island with little access to legal support, and the Greek state does not provide legal assistance to asylum seekers preparing for their first interview. She was navigating the asylum system while separated from her husband, solely responsible for two young children, and dependent on the outcome of a complex family reunification procedure. The uncertainty surrounding European member states’ debate to designate Syria as “safe,” combined with an increasingly restrictive migration environment, added further pressure and insecurity to her situation.

Rasha reached ELIL’s duty phone, explaining her situation and requesting legal assistance. Although we don’t have an office on the island where Rasha had arrived, since there were no other legal actors on the island, we assisted Rasha’s case remotely. Firstly, our lawyers explained the different processes and her options to her. Rasha’s priority was that she and her children would be able to join her husband in Germany. Our lawyers provided her with all of the information and support she needed. We supported Rasha in gathering, organising, and verifying all documentation required for the family reunification process with Germany, ensuring that her application was complete and aligned with her husband’s protection status.

Providing this support remotely represented an additional challenge, due to unreliable internet connection and other communication problems. Our lawyer also coordinated with local authorities in the island where Rasha was living, who were helping her to complete some minor administrative tasks.This assistance was particularly important given her vulnerable position as a single mother,  her lack of access to legal supportand the complexity of the family reunification process.

This support proved essential in overcoming procedural barriers and safeguarding the family’s right to reunification. As a result, the German authorities approved the family reunification application. Rasha and her children are now living safely with her husband in Germany.

*Name and identifying details have been changed for protection reasons.