The war in Ukraine has increased the number of asylum seekers, diversifying also the regions where there are large numbers of refugees. The legal framework regulating their situation has also changed: the activation of the Temporary Protection Directive confronts lawyers with the need to deal with new legal matter. Ensuring human rights requires a professional commitment on the part of lawyers at different points in the country. The aim of the project is to ensure the provision of accessible legal aid and to help respond quickly and effectively to the needs of those displaced by the war in Ukraine. This will be ensured on the one hand by the FAR legal team and on the other by training new lawyers and building a mutual assistance network working on the basis of common standards. The specific profile of the arrivals - vulnerable groups, easy prey for trafficking - implies the need for prevention and counteraction, in this particular case through an information campaign and legal assistance. Where necessary, psychological support will also be provided. The lack of timely and accessible legal assistance may further jeopardise the guarantee of human rights, in particular of those displaced by the war in Ukraine, and the failure to identify potential risks to vulnerable trafficked persons may make them victims. Therefore, the expected outcome is to ensure accessible legal aid for the direct beneficiaries, namely refugees, while respecting all ethical standards and preventing and countering the potential risk of human trafficking.
The project ACF/944 "Building an accessible network for legal aid to displaced persons from Ukraine in Bulgaria and preventing and counteracting human trafficking" is implemented with financial support in EUR 24996 provided by Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway under the EEA Financial Mechanism. www.activecitizensfund.bg