Saxon State Ministry of Justice and for Democracy, Europe and Equality supports the Refugee Law Clinic

The Refugee Law Clinic Dresden, a student initiative, is supported by the Centre for Integration Studies and the Centre for International Studies (both TU Dresden). It offers free legal advice for refugees. The offer is open to all refugees, currently also to people from Ukraine in particular. The Refugee Law Clinic has been funded by the Saxon State Ministry of Justice and for Democracy, Europe and Equality (SMJusDEG) since autumn 2021. The model project will run until the end of 2022, and a continuation is firmly planned.

© RLC

The Refugee Law Clinic Dresden trains 30 to 40 students from all of Dresden's universities in voluntary legal counselling every year. In a one-year training course, the students from various disciplines acquire knowledge about asylum and residence law. This knowledge then benefits refugees, but also international students and foreign professionals.

Minister of Justice Katja Meier: »Low-threshold access to legal advice is a central prerequisite for genuine participation in the rule of law. The voluntary, professionally guided legal advice provided by the Refugee Law Clinic Dresden makes an important contribution here, which is urgently needed, especially in the current situation. Furthermore, the Refugee Law Clinic is a good example of how application-oriented research and teaching can be combined with voluntary commitment in such a way that trust in the rule of law and our democracy is strengthened«.

Prof. Dr. Dominik Steiger (TU Dresden) also draws attention to the importance of the counselling services in view of the increasing numbers of refugees in Ukraine. »It is good that with the Refugee Law Clinic Dresden we have a strong student initiative that can offer reliable and low-threshold legal advice even in emergency situations like the current one. Refugees from all over the world, and after Russia's aggression in violation of international law, of course especially from Ukraine, are cordially invited to take up this offer. They can rely on the helpfulness and competence of the counsellors. The work of the Refugee Law Clinic Dresden shows once again how important it is to observe and guarantee (human) rights rules«.

The work in the voluntary counselling is supported by supervision by the long-standing migration lawyer Elena Bogdanzaliew. The Refugee Law Clinic Dresden provides counselling in six counselling centres throughout Dresden and also offers online counselling via Zoom. The counselling services on asylum and residence law are open to all refugees.

In the future, the initiative wants to work even more closely with other providers of refugee and migration counselling. Intensive cooperation with the Diakonisches Werk der Ev.-Luth. Landeskirche Sachsen e. V. and the Arbeiterwohlfahrt (AWO) Landesverband Sachsen e. V. has already begun in the past year. In particular, employees of the Diakonie and the Workers' Welfare Association can participate in the Law Clinic's courses or refer legal questions to the Refugee Law Clinic.

Diakonie Sachsen sees the cooperation with the Refugee Law Clinic as a useful addition to its refugee and migration counselling services. »We support the free and independent counselling services and offer the students internships in our member institutions that care for and advise refugees. Everyone involved benefits from the exchange of practical experience and legal expertise«, says Kerstin Böttger, Migration Officer at Diakonie Sachsen.

Ilko Kessler, advisor at the Workers' Welfare Association of Saxony, adds: »The AWO has a comprehensive structure of specialised migration services and reception facilities in Saxony. We are glad to have found a competent partner in the TU Dresden and the Refugee Law Clinic Dresden project«.

Project management:
Prof. Dr Dominik Steiger, Dr Karoline Oehme-Jüngling

Information for journalists:
Karoline Oehme-Jüngling I Centre for Integration Studies.
Phone: +49 351 463-40628