The Advocacy Team works to end detention of people on the move, to end pushbacks and to fortify access to asylum through a fair asylum procedure and independent legal support. Through advocacy, I Have Rights aims to raise awareness, pressure political actors, make recommendations for change, as well as give people seeking safety space to share their experiences and amplify their voices.
Joint Statement – Unlawful Detention and Worsening Conditions: Over 4000 Asylum Seekers Unlawfully Detained on Samos and Lesvos
In a deeply concerning development, asylum seekers on the Aegean islands of Samos and Lesvos are being placed en mass into unlawful detention in appalling conditions in the EU-funded Closed Controlled Access Centers (CCACs) while awaiting registration of their asylum requests. Following a sharp increase in arriving asylum seekers [...]
Unidentified, unrecognised and denied support: survivors of human trafficking in the Samos Closed Controlled Access Centre
Report from Samos demonstrates that Greek and EU-authorities routinely violate the rights of survivors of human trafficking. 6th September 2023, Vathy, Samos: Through analysing the cases of 53 survivors of human trafficking, I Have Rights (IHR), a non-profit legal organisation based on Samos, presents evidence that at every [...]
GREVIO evaluation report on the implementation of the Council of Europe convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence. GalleryGREVIO evaluation report on the implementation of the Council of Europe convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence.
GREVIO evaluation report on the implementation of the Council of Europe convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence.
Press Release Samos, Greece - I Have Rights (IHR) and The Human Rights Legal Project (HRLP) has submitted a joint report to the Group of Experts on Action against Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (GREVIO) on the violations of the Istanbul Convention in [...]
Joint Statement: Shutdown of the Greek Asylum Service database leaves people unable to claim asylum and in limbo
Between 5th May and 7th June 2023, most of the operations of Greek asylum authorities under the umbrella of the Ministry of Migration and Asylum (MoMA) were halted due to an upgrade of the Asylum Service’s database, Alkyoni. During this period, no operations involving the Alkyoni system could [...]
“They are killing minds”- Life in the Samos Closed Controlled Access Centre
In a report out on International Refugee Day, I Have Rights shares testimonies of people held in the EU-Funded Samos Closed Controlled Access Centre (CCAC). Vathy, 20th August 2023 (International Refugee Day) - A report out today provides testimony from people who are or have been accommodated in [...]
Policy Brief on evidence of Aegean pushbacks
Following the video evidence published on May 19th by the New York Times, I Have Rights (IHR) and the Border Violence Monitoring Network (BVMN) sent a joint briefing to Members of Parliament, sharing data and testimonies of survivors of pushbacks in the Aegean recorded over the last two years. [...]