Reuniting Siblings Across Borders: A Greece-Switzerland Family Reunification Case
The team in Athens addressed a family reunification case of a boy with his half-sister residing in Switzerland. The child believed he had already filed for family reunification when he was still on the island, but the lawyer on the mainland who took over the case found that no request had been filed. One of the challenges in this case was the fact that the half-siblings had not been found in the country of origin, but instead developed a close sibling bond during the child's journey from Somalia to Europe. Furthermore, the absence of identification documents posed another challenge as the minor and his sister were from Somalia where it is common for citizens to not have identification documents including the birth certificate.
ELIL’s lawyer contacted the minor's sister and together they drew up a detailed statement, in which the child's sister explained in detail the course of their brotherly relationship. The lawyer ensured that all the available documents of the child's sister and her husband were also submitted, in order to communicate to the Swiss authorities all the facts that proved that it is in the best interests of the child to move to Switzerland and live with his sister. When the Swiss authorities requested further information, the lawyer assisted the minor’s sister in communicating with the Swiss authorities for the pending family reunification case. They drafted the answers’ letter to the questions that the Swiss authorities addressed to the minor’s sister, highlighting her active role in the Somali community of Lausanne and her capability to help in the upbringing and smooth living of her brother.
In the end, the Swiss authorities responded positively to Greece's take-charge request and the minor will soon be transferred to Switzerland to live with his sister and her family. This case underscores the critical role that ELIL plays in providing legal aid to children. For them, navigating complex legal systems and filing for family reunification can be particularly difficult. ELIL’s lawyers work tirelessly to ensure that they receive the legal assistance and support necessary to achieve reunification with their loved ones
