Campaign Archives - Page 2 of 18

‘I receive much more than I give’

Emmanuelle Gautier (55) lives in a small village of 300 people in the Beaujolais region in France. The web journalist and author of podcasts is a volunteer at Forum réfugiés, a non-profit organization that – amongst others – supports the integration of refugees into French society.

‘Two years ago, the return of the Taliban to Afghanistan really moved and shocked me’, Emmanuelle says. ‘It was then that I decided to offer my help to refugees. In my opinion, it is essential to offer linguistic and cultural bridges to these people, so they can get a foothold in France.’

A new cooperation to strengthen our fight against illegal detention, because #ThereAreAlternatives

We are thrilled to announce a new cooperation that will strengthen our fight against illegal detention in Malta. Throughout 2023, we will be cooperating with the German NGO PRO ASYL in all our detention activities. This cooperation will boost our #ThereAreAlternatives campaign, pushing for Malta to bring its practices in line with fundamental human rights law.

In particular, PRO ASYL is providing us with financial support that will allow our lawyers to be more present in the detention centres to meet detained persons and see to their legal needs. This cooperation is also ensuring that our lawyers are able to visit our clients with much-needed interpreters, and to provide the people we meet with Fact Sheets about their legal situation.

Much more than bicycles for refugees!

Bicpop is a bicycle repair workshop in Zagreb, the capital of Croatia. In the shop, old bicycles are collected and repaired together by refugees and locals. Repaired bikes are then donated to refugees and other people who might need them. Still, the shop is much more: it is a place of solidarity where refugees and the citizens of Zagreb connect and make new friends.

Marina is a volunteer in BicPop and contributes to this simple, yet important story. She says: ‘We’re doing something useful in and for the community. That is something that everyone needs, even more than the bikes themselves.‘

‘Salaam alaikum!’ a story of Maria’s new family!

‘Salaam alaikum’! Brabant native Maria shouted from her garden to her new Syrian neighbour. That short, friendly greeting turned out to be the start of a beautiful friendship. ‘More than that, actually: we’ve become family. Wim and I just gained four grandchildren.’

Victory in two important cases, securing our clients’ dignity and rights!

On 10 May 2023 the Court of Appeal delivered an important judgement on the status of holders of Specific Residence Authorisation (SRA). The judgement made a number of important points that clarify how Malta should be treating people who have chosen to make Malta their home. Our Pro Bono Unit is honoured to have had the opportunity to assist Mr. Ekogiawe in his struggle to secure his and his family’s legal status. It is encouraging for us and for our clients to see justice served in a way that respects their dignity and rights.

Mr. Ekogiawe came to Malta in 2008. After his asylum application was rejected, he was granted Temporary Humanitarian Protection New (THPN) on the basis of his efforts at integrating in Malta. Thanks to his continuous efforts at integrating in Malta, this status was regularly renewed. Since 2012 he has been in stable and regular employment, and in 2018 he and his partner had a baby girl.