Co-ordinated by: Last updated: November 2017 NB The list of the ELENA coordinators is up-to-date as of May 2018 Julia Zelvenska Head of Legal Support and Litigation European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE) Rue Royale 146, 1st floor 1000 Brussels, Belgium Tel: +32 (2) 212 0814 Fax: +32 (2) 514 5922 E-mail: [email protected] CONTENTS A. Introduction Preface i European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE) ii Introduction to ELENA iii B. Countries Austria 1 Belgium 8 Bosnia-Herzegovina 14 Bulgaria 15 Croatia 18 Cyprus 21 Czech Republic 23 Denmark 25 Estonia 29 Finland 30 France 32 Germany 42 Greece 51 Hungary 56 Iceland 60 Ireland 63 Italy 68 Latvia 81 Lithuania 83 Luxembourg 85 Malta 88 The Netherlands 91 Norway 96 Poland 102 Portugal 104 Romania 107 Russia 110 Serbia 114 Slovak Republic 118 Slovenia 120 Spain 124 Sweden 136 Switzerland 144 Turkey 147 Ukraine 150 United Kingdom 152 C. UNHCR Offices 156 D. Format of the country chapters In general the country chapters are structured as follows: I. ELENA NATIONAL COORDINATOR Name and address of the person who serves as the contact and coordination person for the ELENA network for the country in question. II. NATIONAL UMBRELLA ORGANISATIONS / REFUGEE COUNCILS National umbrella organisations of voluntary agencies, counselling offices and lawyers who exercise a coordinating function. III. ORGANISATIONS SUPPORTING ASYLUM SEEKERS Voluntary agencies, counselling centres and other humanitarian organisations dealing with counselling, housing, financial support, integration and other social problems of asylum seekers during the asylum procedure. IV. ORGANISATIONS PROVIDING ADVICE TO ASYLUM SEEKERS Non-Governmental Organisations and voluntary agencies providing legal advice and assistance to asylum seekers. Where available, the following additional information is also provided: *LA – denotes that legal aid is provided **Eng, Ger, Fr, It, etc. – denotes languages spoken within the organisation ***Denotes fields of specialisations e.g. unaccompanied minors, traumatised asylum seekers, etc. V. LAWYERS PROVIDING ADVICE TO ASYLUM SEEKERS Lawyers working in the asylum field and providing legal services to asylum s eekers. Where available, the following additional information is also provided: *LA – denotes that legal aid is provided **Eng, Ger, Fr, It, etc. – denotes languages spoken within the firm *** Denotes fields of specialisations e.g. unaccompanied minors, traumatised asylum seekers, etc. VI. AIRPORT / BORDER SERVICES Lawyers and legal counsellors on call at airports and border control offices, available to provide support and emergency services. VII. LEGAL AID This section is intended to provide a short explanation of each Member State’s national legislation/policy on legal aid and its provision. VIII. LAWYERS AND LEGAL EXPERTS WITH AN OVERALL KNOWLEDGE OF REFUGEE LAW AND POLICY Lawyers, legal experts and academics who serve as sources of information on questions related to refugee law and policy. PREFACE The ELENA Index of useful addresses lists organisations and individuals providing legal services and other forms of support to refugees and asylum seekers in Europe. It is not intended to be a complete directory of all organisations and persons active in the asylum field, but reflects the information provided by the ELENA Coordinators in the various countries. This list is only indicative of lawyers and organisations operating in this f ield and is not a formal endorsement by the ELENA network. The ELENA Index is meant to serve as a tool for lawyers and legal counsellors participating in the European Legal Network on Asylum in their daily counselling and advocacy work. It provides addresses of colleagues and organisations in other countries which are useful when working with refugee and asylum law. The ELENA Index is updated on an annual co-ordinated basis from the ECRE Secretariat. For more up-to-date information, additions, corrections and comments please contact the ELENA National Coordinators in the respective country or the ECRE Secretariat via e-mail: [email protected] or fax: +32 (2) 514 5922. This document is for internal use by agencies dealing with refugees and asylum seekers. It can be distributed to individuals with links to such an agency. i EUROPEAN COUNCIL ON REFUGEES AND EXILES The European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE) is a pan-European alliance of 90 NGOs protecting and advancing the rights of refugees, asylum seekers and displaced persons. Our mission is to promote the establishment of fair and humane European asylum policies and practices in accordance with international human rights law. Working together with our members and partners to inform and persuade European authorities and the public, we monitor and denounce human rights violations while proposing and promoting fair and effective durable solutions. We accomplish our mission through research , advocacy and the sharing of knowledge and expertise. ECRE strives for a Europe that protects refugees, asylum seekers and displaced persons with dignity and respect. “Europe” refers to the broader geographic territory as well as “Europe” as an actor gi ving access to protection and providing assistance on its territory and outside. The term “protects” is defined in the broadest sense, to encompass access to asylum, legal and physical protection and integration. “Refugees, asylum seekers and displaced persons” to include all people seeking protection against their loss of rights due to displacement. ii INTRODUCTION TO ELENA The European Legal Network on Asylum (ELENA) is a forum of legal practitioners who aim to promote the highest human rights standards for the treatment of refugees, asylum seekers and other persons in need of international protection in their daily individual counselling and advocacy work. The ELENA network extends across most European states and involves some 500 lawyers and legal counsellors. ELENA's objectives are pursued by: providing and reinforcing contact between legal practitioners in different European countries who work on asylum cases; facilitating the exchange of information and experience between legal practitioners across Europe; studying the implementation of national, European and international law relating to refugees and other persons in need of international protection; organising seminars on specific topics relating to refugee law and making the results available to practising lawyers; promoting the development of national networks of legal practitioners specialising in asylum law. ELENA reinforces direct personal contact between lawyers to promote cooperation on individual cases and practice. The work of ELENA is coordinated by the ECRE Secretariat in Brussels in continuous and close consultation with the ELENA National Coordinators comprising practising legal advisers from a range of European countries. iii AUSTRIA (+43) I. ELENA COORDINATORS Olivia Schöfl Gloria Kinsperger Diakonie Flüchtlingsdienst gem. GmbH Caritas Austria Wattgasse 48, 1170 Wien Department for Integration, Migration and Asylum Tel.: +43(0)1/ 405 62 95 Albrechtskreithgasse 19-21, A-1160 Vienna Mobile: +43 (0)664/ 883 023 46 Tel: +43 (0) 1/488 31-483 Fax.: +43 (0) 1/ 405 62 95-73 Mobile: +43 (0) 664/82 66 925 E-Mail: [email protected] Fax: +43 (0) 1/488 31-9400 E-Mail: [email protected] II. NATIONAL UMBRELLA III. ORGANISATIONS ORGANISATIONS / SUPPORTING ASYLUM NATIONAL REFUGEE SEEKERS COUNCILS VIENNA: Asylkoordination Österreichische Caritaszentrale, Burggasse 81/7 Coordinator of Austrian Asylum A-1070 Vienna Lawyers’ Network Tel.: +43 (0)1 532 1291 Albrechtskreithgasse19-21 E-Mail: [email protected] A-1160 Vienna Web: www.asyl.at Tel.: +43 (0)1 488 31-442 Fax: +43 (0)1 488 31 9400 Diakonie, Protestant Refugee Service E-Mail: [email protected] Austria Web: www.asylanwalt.at Steinergasse 3/12 ** German, English 1170 Wien *** network representing asylum seekers in Tel.: +43 (0)1 402 67 54 supreme courts Fax: +43 (0)1 402 67 54-16 E-Mail: [email protected] Web: www.fluechtlingsdienst.diakonie.at Österreichische Caritaszentrale, Coordinator of the EU-project for Österreichische Caritaszentrale voluntary return (IRMA) Albrechtskreithgasse 19-21 Albrechtskreithgasse 19-21 A-1160 Vienna A-1160 Vienna Department for Integration, Migration and Tel: +43 (0)1 488 31-447 Asylum Fax: +43 (0)1 488 31-9400 Tel.: +43 (0)1 488 31-448 E-Mail: [email protected] Fax: +43 (0)1 488 31-9400 Web: https://www.caritas.at/hilfe- E-Mail: [email protected] beratung/migrantinnen- Web: www.caritas.at fluechtlinge/beratung- vertretung/rueckkehrhilfe- reintegration/irma-rueckkehrberatung/ ** German, English *** return assistance Österreichische Caritaszentrale, Coordinator of the EU-project for reintegration (IRMA plus) Albrechtskreithgasse 19-21 A-1160 Vienna 1 AUSTRIA (+43) Tel: +43 (0)1 488 31-447 A-1090 Vienna Fax: +43 (0)1 488 31-9400 Tel.: + 43 (0) 1 427 88-644 E-Mail: [email protected] E-Mail: [email protected] Web: https://www.caritas.at/hilfe- Web: www.caritas-wien.at/hilfe- beratung/migrantinnen- angebote/asyl-integration/beratung-fuer- fluechtlinge/beratung- asylwerberinnen/asylrechtsberatung/ vertretung/rueckkehrhilfe- ** German, English reintegration/irma-plus / *** legal and social counselling for asylum ** German, English seekers (residing in Vienna) ***reintegration assistance Caritas Vienna: Counselling in Amnesty International Österreich immigration law Moeringgasse 10 Mommsengasse 35 A-1150