The European Legal Network on Asylum (ELENA) is a forum of legal practitioners promoting the highest human rights standards for the treatment of refugees, asylum seekers and other persons in need of international protection in their daily individual counselling and advocacy work.
The ELENA network established in 1985 now extends across 38 European states and involves some 500 lawyers and legal counsellors. It is coordinated by the secretariat of the ECRE secretariat in Brussels in close consultation with the ELENA national coordinators (i.e. legal practitioners, legal academics and legal officers in ECRE member organisations).
Objectives
- Provide and reinforce contact between legal practitioners in different European countries to promote co-operation on individual cases and practice;
- Study the implementation of national, European and international law relating to refugees;
- Organise seminars on specific topics relating to refugee law and make the results available to practising lawyers;
- Promote the development of national networks of legal practitioners specialising in asylum law.
For more information please see the leaflet and the ELENA Index.
- ECRE-ELENA Legal Note on Ageing Out and Family Reunification
- ECRE-ELENA Case law note on the application of the Dublin Regulation to family reunion cases
- ECRE-ELENA Legal Note on Access to Legal Aid in Europe – Read more »
- ECRE-ELENA Information Note on Dublin transfers post-Tarakhel: Update on European case law and practice
- Celebrating 30 years of the ELENA Network: 1985-2015
- ECRE-ELENA Information Note on Syrians seeking protection in Europe
- UNHCR-IARLJ-ELENA Summary report on an informal meeting of experts on refugee claims relating to sexual orientation and gender identity
- ECRE-ELENA Research on ECHR Rule 39 Interim Measures
ECRE has been running specialist and introductory refugee law courses for more than 25 years. The topics covered in the courses are selected by the ELENA national coordinators based on the needs that are identified by practitioners. The courses are aimed at legal counsellors and lawyers from across Europe who defend or who are interested in defending cases concerning refugees and asylum seekers.
ELENA courses have benefited from the generous co-operation of leading academics and practitioners, including such as Prof. Hathaway, Prof. Goodwin-Gill, Prof. Elspeth Guild and Nuala Mole.
For more information regarding ELENA courses, please contact Sofia Bonatti.