European Lawyers in Lesvos

European Lawyers in Lesvos (ELIL) was founded in June 2016 by the Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe (CCBE) and the German Bar Association (DAV). In 2019, the French Bar Association (CNB) joined as an ELIL stakeholder.

ELIL’s mission is to provide free, high-quality legal assistance to asylum seekers in Greece. The initial aim of the project was to provide legal support to asylum seekers on the island of Lesvos. Since then, ELIL expanded its operations to the island of Samos and opened additional offices in Athens and Thessaloniki to assist asylum seekers on the Greek mainland and adapt to the changing needs.

ELIL provides one-on-one legal consultations to prepare people for their asylum interview, provides legal assistance to children, assists with family reunification applications, and organises group legal information sessions.

More information about the ELIL is available here.