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: Calling MEPs to Reject Schengen Borders Code
85 Civil Society Organisations Call on MEPs to Uphold Fundamental Rights and Reject the Harmful Schengen Borders Code Recast. Despite repeated warnings from Civil Society Organisations, EU lawmakers have reached an agreement on the Schengen Borders Code reform which will be voted on in the LIBE Committee next [...]
Degrading conditions in Samos CCAC: The European Court of Human Rights grants Interim Measures
The European Court of Human Rights has granted Interim Measures with regards to a mother and baby held in the Samos Closed Controlled Access Centre. The Court orders the Greek Authorities to accommodate the Applicants in safe and suitable accommodation. Samos, 7 February 2024 - On 05/02/2024, in [...]
Joint Statement: Call for Upholding Human Rights in Samos CCAC
31st January 2024 - Today, civil society organisations unite their voices to denounce the inhumane and degrading living conditions in the Samos Closed Controlled Access Centre (CCAC) and the continued failure to uphold human rights standards. We, the undersigned organisations, once again call for the closure of the [...]
Greek Ombudsman finds that CCAC is unlawfully restricting access to lawyers
Following a joint complaint made by Avocats Sans Frontieres France, I Have Rights and Human Rights Legal Project, the Greek Ombudsman has found that the Reception and Identification Service (RIS) of the Samos Closed Controlled Access Centre (CCAC) unlawfully restricts lawyers’ access to [...]
European Court of Human Rights Condemns Greece’s Treatment of an Unaccompanied Child on Samos
Samos, 18 January 2024 – Today, in the case of T.K. v. Greece (Application No. 16112/20), the European Court of Human Rights delivered a decisive verdict, condemning the treatment of an unaccompanied asylum-seeking child on the Greek island of Samos. The Court found that the wrong registration of [...]
Our 2023 Annual Report
Last year was a defining chapter in I Have Rights’ work and we want to thank you for your support throughout 2023. While the challenges faced were high, our shared commitment to upholding the rights of people on the move only strengthened. In 2023, Samos saw a 300% [...]