The Saxon State Ministry of Justice, Democracy, European Affairs and Gender Equality support the Refugee Law Clinic

The Refugee Law Clinic Dresden is a student initiative supported by TU Dresden’s Center for Integration Studies and the School of International Studies. The law clinic offers legal counsel to refugees free of charge. The service is available to all refugees, including those fleeing from the war in Ukraine. Since fall 2021, the Refugee Law Clinic has been sponsored by the Saxon State Ministry of Justice, Democracy, European Affairs and Gender Equality (SMJusDEG). The project will run until the end of 2022. A continuation of the project is planned.

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Every year, the Refugee Law Clinic Dresden trains between 30 and 40 students from Dresden universities and colleges in providing pro bono legal counsel. During a one-year training course, students from various disciplines acquire knowledge of asylum and residence law. They then use their knowledge to aid refugees as well as international students and employees.

Minister of Justice Katja Meier said, “Easy access to legal advice is a key prerequisite for true inclusion in civil society. The professional, pro bono legal advice provided at the Refugee Law Clinic Dresden offers an important contribution, which is urgently needed, especially at the current time. The Refugee Law Clinic is also a good example of how practice-oriented research and teaching can be combined with voluntary work to strengthen trust in our civil society and democracy.”

Prof.  Dr. Dominik Steiger at TU Dresden also emphasized the importance of advisory services in light of the growing numbers of refugees arriving from Ukraine. “It is good that we have a strong student initiative with the Refugee Law Clinic Dresden that can also offer reliable and accessible legal advice in emergency situations such as now. Refugees from all over the world – and especially Ukraine following Russia’s unlawful military aggression – are most sincerely invited to take advantage of these services. You can rely on the assistance and expertise of the consultants. The work of the Refugee Law Clinic Dresden shows once again how important compliance with and the safeguarding of (human) rights are.”

Elena Bogdanzaliew, an experienced migration lawyer, supervises the work of the clinic. The Refugee Law Clinic Dresden provides counseling at six sites throughout Dresden and also offers online counseling via Zoom. The advisory services on asylum and residency rights are open to all refugees.

In the future, the initiative hopes to work more closely with other providers of refugee and migration counseling. Last year, the initiative began working in close collaboration with the Diakonischen Werk  der Ev.-Luth. Landeskirche Sachsen, the social services branch of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Saxony, and the charity group, Arbeiterwohlfahrt (AWO)  Landesverband Sachsen.  Employees from these two organizations can participate in the Law Clinic's courses or refer legal questions to the Refugee Law Clinic.

Diakonie Sachsen sees its partnership with the Refugee Law Clinic as a useful addition to its refugee and migration counseling services. “We are committed to supporting the free and independent counseling service and offer students internships at our member facilities that provide care and counseling to refugees. All parties benefit from the sharing of experience and legal expertise,” said Kerstin Böttger, Migration Consultant at Diakonie Sachsen.

Ilko Kessler, Consultant at Arbeiterwohlfahrt Sachsen, added, “AWO has a structure of specialized migration services and reception facilities throughout Saxony. We are delighted to have found a skilled, professional partner in TU Dresden and the Refugee Law Clinic Dresden project."

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

Media enquiries:
Karoline Oehme-Jüngling I Center for Integration Studies
Tel.: +49 351 463-40628