The war provoked by the Russian Federation's aggression against Ukraine in February 2022 and its tragic consequences in Europe, resulting in a huge increase in the number of people fleeing Ukraine in neighbouring countries and beyond, call for immediate action.

To assist lawyers from most affected countries dealing with the influx of war refugees, mostly women, girls and boys, the Council of Europe took immediate steps, thanks to the flexibility of its Human Rights Education for Legal Professionals (HELP) Programme, and the coincidental start of the EU-funded “HELP in the EU III” project. As European Bar associations are members of the HELP Network and there is a sound basis of HELP tutors (many of them also experts on asylum/migration), HELP could rapidly respond via tailored legal support – that can evolve as we go through all stages of conflict, peace-building and post-conflict.

Thus, as of 1 March 2022, virtual Asylum/Migration HELP e-Desks were set up, managed by HELP tutors and legal experts to support lawyers assisting refugees from Ukraine in four EU neighbouring countries (Romania, Slovakia, Hungary and Poland) with EU financial support, as well as in Moldova, with Council of Europe's own funding.

These HELP e-Desks are being gradually updated with resources and information as it becomes available in each country, particularly after the reactivation of the EU Directive on Temporary Protection. The initative is coordinated with the Migration Committee of the Council of Bars and Law Societies in Europe (CCBE). 

In parallel, a similar Asylum/Migration National HELP e-Desk is being developed for Ukraine for those still in the country who need legal information on asylum/migration/displacement issues. It is noteworthy that, in the last years, at least 335 Ukrainians followed the Ukrainian contextualised version of the HELP course on Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) with tutors from Justice Training institutions (or IDP-related ministries), largely under and mainly under the CoE cooperation project/interventions to strengthen the Human Rights Protection of IDPs in Ukraine.

About the Asylum/Migration HELP e-Desks

The Asylum/Migration HELP e-Desks facilitate access of legal professionals to  information and training about effective handling of cases at national level related to refugees and displaced persons, with an immediate focus on refugees from Ukraine.

The National HELP e-Desks contain:

• useful links and practical tips assisting legal professionals dealing with the refugees and displaced persons
• legal resources, national legal framework and context - the e-Desks are being updated with developments as they emerge at national and European level, especially related to procedures and practices on the EU Temporary Protection Directive (for EU member States) and asylum and resettlement procedures
• online self-paced training based on HELP courses related to the context (Asylum and Human Rights; Refugee and Migrant Children; Internal Displacement; Combating Trafficking in Human Beings - see information about the courses below), based on which legal professionals can undergo fast and high-quality training and can benefit from electronically generated Statements of Accomplishment upon successful completion
• some eDesks have a forum for exchange, moderated by national experts.

National HELP eDesks: 

• Belgium | Bulgaria | Cyprus | Czech Republic | France | Germany | Greece | Hungary | Ireland | Italy | Moldova | Poland | Romania | Slovakia | Spain | Ukraine

Under preparation: Latvia | Lithuania | Slovenia