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Description
The crisis caused by Covid-19 considerably affected access to fundamental rights and justice and the efficiency of remedies against violation of rights and discrimination. Refugees and migrants became even more insecure and vulnerable and their physical and social isolation has further obstructed their access to services, including legal aid. The project aims at providing state-of-the-art digital solutions for access to reliable information and legal aid during a pandemic. The project also draws upon the platform set up by the Foundation for Access to Rights (FAR), Migrantlife.Bg, which is commonly used by refugee and migrant communities. First, a multidisciplinary team of lawyers, with expertise in the fields of law most severely hit by the restrictive measures, will be available to provide legal counselling and other legal aid via the online module Request Assistance (http://migrantlife.bg/bg/request-assistance). Second, monthly webinars for group information sessions and consultations will clarify selected topics from the current situation in the country. Third, based on the needs identified during the first two activities, FAR will publish every month an article with information about key legal issues for the refugees and migrants in Bulgaria in the context of Covid- 19 in the five languages of the Migrantlife.Bg platform (Bulgarian, English, Arabic, Persian and Urdu). the project resources will focus on intersectoral cases of double vulnerability due to the person’s migrant/refugee status and the Covid-19 crisis.
Summary of project results
The Covid-19 crisis significantly affected the access to fundamental rights and justice and the effectiveness of remedies against violations of rights and discrimination. The insecurity and vulnerability faced refugees and migrants deepened and physical and social isolation complicated even more the access to services, including legal aid. That is why the Foundation for Access to Rights - FAR launched a new project - "Legal aid to financially disadvantaged refugees and immigrants during a pandemic by using and improving the Migrantlife.Bg platform."
The assistance, provided in the project, focuses on cross-sectoral cases where there is a double vulnerability due to the migrant/refugee status of the person and the Covid-19 crisis. The project is built on:
The rich experience of FAR in providing legal assistance and its direct work with refugees and migrants in Bulgaria.
The online information platform Migrantlife.Bg created by FAR, which is widely used by refugee and migrant communities.
Visit the project’s website at https://www.farbg.eu/en/projects/legal_aid_financially_disadvantaged_refugees_immigrants_in_%20pandemic