ELIL Greece
ELIL has been providing legal assistance to refugees in Greece since 2016. We work on the Aegean Islands and the mainland. In 2025, we supported over 4,000 people.
We familiarise asylum seekers with the asylum process and criteria, help them understand their rights and obligations to be fully prepared for their interview.
We cooperate closely with other organisations, particularly with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the International Rescue Committee (IRC), Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and Médecins du Monde (MDM), who often refer vulnerable individuals to us for legal assistance.
ELIL provides:
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One-on-one legal consultations
Our team provides crucial legal information, practical support and tailored advice to asylum seekers to prepare them for their asylum interviews.
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Legal assistance to children
We provide specialised assistance to children who are travelling alone or with their families, including in the age assessment process (for children incorrectly registered as adults).
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Assistance with family reunification applications
Under the Dublin Regulation, asylum seekers ans refugees can apply to join family members in other European countries. Our lawyers provide support coordinating with agencies across Europe.
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Group legal information sessions
We provide support and training to both asylum seekers and staff and volunteers other NGOs, to support expanded access to quality accurate legal information.
Our locations across Greece
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The ELIL office is based in the centre of Thessaloniki. The team also supports in the surrounding areas particularly in the Xanthi and Paranesti detention centres and the camps in Drama, Vaiochori, Lagkadikia, Serres and Nea Kavala. In Thessaloniki, we collaborate with the QRT community centre - a safe space for women and children.
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The team works both from our office in Mytilene and in the legal container in the Mavrovouni camp. In addition, we collaborate closely with When We Band Together, a community centre for women and children.
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We continue to assist refugees in Athens itself, in the three camps in the wider Athens area (Schisto, Malakasa and Ritsona), the Apostoli Shelter and in the nearby Amygdaleza detention centre. We also have collaborations and duty hours in Action for Women, JRS Women's Centre and Victoria Community Centre.
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In June 2024, due to the high demand for legal assistance, we re-established a full time in-person presence in Samos. There is a critical shortage of legal support, with only four lawyers available to assist nearly 4,000 individuals.
Over the past nine years, ELIL has assisted over 23,000 people in Greece. Below, we shed some light on the stories behind the numbers.
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