Advocates Abroad

Advocates Abroad is a United States-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that operates as a global network of diverse professionals dedicated to providing humanitarian aid, legal assistance, and psychosocial support to asylum seekers, asylum applicants, and refugees. The organization focuses on upholding the fundamental rights and dignity of vulnerable populations facing displacement and legal challenges related to asylum and refugee status.

History and Background

Advocates Abroad was founded in 2016, initially opening operations at the Greece-North Macedonia border in Idomeni to address the acute legal crisis faced by refugees there. The organization began with temporary teams, but rapidly expanded due to the high demand for aid, receiving hundreds of volunteer applications and messages from refugees within its first week. Since then, Advocates Abroad has trained and deployed over 750 local and foreign volunteers to carry out field missions across nine countries.

The organization is registered in the United States (obtaining 501(c)(3) nonprofit status in 2017), Greece (since 2016), and Italy (since 2017), reflecting its broad operational presence across Europe and North America.

Mission and Services

Advocates Abroad aims to ensure fair and equal access to legal services for refugees and asylum seekers, defending their right to seek asylum and protecting them from deportation without due process. The organization operates through two main modalities:

• Field Teams: Permanent and mobile teams composed of local and foreign attorneys, interpreters, asylum experts, medical professionals, and psychosocial service providers. These teams operate in multiple countries, including permanent offices in the European Union, the Middle East, and North America. They provide in-person legal aid including asylum interview preparation, family reunification assistance, appeals, and conduct legal and non-legal information sessions in camps, shelters, and community centers.

• Remote Legal Aid: A remote legal team provides 24/7 online assistance and legal aid hotlines in several languages, supporting refugees from over 65 countries worldwide. Remote work also includes beneficiary-focused research and policy advocacy, as well as reporting human rights abuses to national and EU Ombudsmen.

Operational Regions

Field teams have a significant presence in Greece, Italy, Turkey, and Switzerland. They are trained to operate in crisis situations to provide accurate, timely legal aid and psychosocial support to asylum seekers and refugees on the ground.

Principles

Advocates Abroad operates based on principles of non-discrimination and humanitarian service. The organization does not accept any form of compensation from refugees or asylum seekers for its services, and offers assistance regardless of individuals' background or identity.

Impact

Since its inception, Advocates Abroad has provided critical legal and humanitarian support to thousands of asylum seekers and refugees navigating complex legal systems and hostile environments. Their work includes direct legal aid, psychosocial support, human rights advocacy, and bridging language and cultural gaps to help vulnerable populations access justice.

This summary reflects the organization's commitment as a global network that combines legal expertise and humanitarian aid to protect refugee rights and uphold dignity amidst displacement crises[1][2][4][5].