The plight of the thousands of refugees who entered Greece before the EU/Turkey agreement was implemented in April this year is no longer front page news. While Greece is funded by the EU to contain and process their asylum claims the process is unbelievably slow. There is no funding available for legal advice prior the claim for asylum being assessed. Applicants generally attend their assessment interview with no understanding of the process or of what they need to express of their situation to ensure that they receive the protection that they deserve. The only legal advice that can be accessed at this stage is from lawyers working pro bono organised by no more than a handful of voluntary organisations. To be effective lawyers need to be able to work with skilled interpreters and again there is no funding available for this.

Increasing numbers of UK refugee lawyers are giving time to the legal advice projects in Greece funded either by their firms / chambers or personally. While many experienced free lance interpreters are willing to give their time they are not in a position to fund the cost of flights and accommodation. This is what the funds are needed for so that the volunteer refugee lawyer can use their time as effectively as possible and so the refugees are able to clearly and fully articulate their needs.