Context
Even if migration is not a new phenomenon in the European Union (EU), it is evolving very fast and in various directions.Geographically, migration flows are not just limited to the central Mediterranean (as has been traditionally the case), but migratory pressure into the EU is coming from four additional main routes: Eastern Mediterranean, Western Balkans, Western Mediterranean (which includes even the EU’s outermost region such as the Canary Islands), and Eastern Europe (especially since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022).Demographically, the past months have been characterised by a considerable increase in the number of women migrants, who are subject to human trafficking for sexual purposes or labour exploitation, for instance in domestic work as indicated by the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA). Also, the number of children on the move remains particularly high.The current migratory situation creates difficulties not only in relation to the management of huge flows of migrants but also in ensuring protection of their fundamental rights. This protection is necessary both regarding health and food, but also regarding legal security that the migrants can claim under international law and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Migrants and asylum seekers (regardless of whether they are refugees or not) also have rights protected under the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. It is therefore of crucial importance for the EU to have lawyers properly trained on immigration and asylum issues deriving from the Charter.
Needs assessment
TRALIM 3 is the successor of the successful TRALIM 1 and TRALIM 2 projects, where ELF and its partners already trained 1.876 lawyers from different Member States on EU asylum and immigration law. Both projects also demonstrated that the training needs of lawyers in this area are broad, diverse and ever-evolving for two main reasons: first, migration towards the EU is a complex socio-economic phenomenon that will continue to exist (so more lawyers need to be trained in this field); and second, even lawyers who were already trained through TRALIM 1 and TRALIM 2 will have with TRALIM 3 the chance to:
acquire a more advanced knowledge by focusing on the specific situations of certain groups of migrants such us children on the move, women and people with disabilities, and/or
participate physically in short visits to reception centres or other institutions dealing with immigrants and asylum seekers in other partner countries.
In other words, the need is not only limited to an increase in the number of trained lawyers, but also in more specialised and more cross-border training. In brief, there are significant training needs for lawyers in EU immigration and asylum law, with training solutions available through the TRALIM network, and with lawyers willing to continue assuming their responsibility as guarantors of migrants’ rights through a new training project which scales up the effort undertaken by the two previous editions of TRALIM.
Objectives
The overall objective is to train 716 lawyers from 7 EU Member States (Italy, Spain, Cyprus, France, Poland, Greece and the Ireland) through the organisation of training on immigration and asylum law (TRALIM seminars) and on the law relating to migrants who are in a vulnerable situation (TRALVU seminars), plus short visits to to Italy, Spain, Greece, Cyprus, France and Poland. Further to the training activities, important ready-to-use material on asylum and immigration will be produced in the frame of this project.
Activities
8 TRALIM seminars in Nicosia (Cyprus), Dublin (Ireland), Madrid (Spain), Paris (France), Canary Islands (Spain), Naples (Italy), Agrigento (Italy) and Athens (Greece). These seminars will deal, inter alia, with the following topics: the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights’ provisions in relation to asylum and immigration, the EU legal system (instruments and case law) regulating asylum and immigration, legal assistance to immigrants and asylum seekers, and the legal framework on asylum and immigration in different EU Member States, etc.
7 TRALVU seminars in Limassol (Cyprus), Dublin (Ireland), Athens (Greece), Paris (France), Turin (Italy), Madrid (Spain) and Rome (Italy). Among the issues that will be addressed by these seminars will be the European framework in relation to vulnerable migrants, the trafficking and labour exploitation of migrant workers, migrant children and migrant families, migrant women and migrant LGBTI+, and migrants with disabilities, elderly migrants, etc.
Organisation of short visits to Italy, Spain, Greece, Cyprus, France and Poland where a total of 67 EU lawyers will meet with relevant actors working in the field of immigration and asylum in these Member States in order to share experiences and best practices.
Production of ready-to-use training material of two types: a) manual on best practices on asylum and immigration in 7 EU jurisdictions to be drafted by experts in each Member State and b) material resulting from the seminars.
Promotion of networking for lawyers participating in the seminars and in the short visits so informal networks of lawyers working on asylum and immigration issues from 7 EU Member States can be created.
Methodology
The organisation of seminars and short visits is the best possible way to ensure two of the main aspects of this project: high-level training for lawyers, and the opportunity to use the seminars and the short visits for networking purposes. The seminars will last one day and there will be participants from all the partners’ Member States in each seminar.
Benefit for lawyers
TRALIM 3 will enable lawyers who take part in its training activities (at least 716 lawyers) to increase their knowledge of the EU legal instruments applicable to immigration and asylum cases (including the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, and instruments covering migrants who are in a vulnerable situation. Similarly, those lawyers participating in the project’s short visits will learn how colleagues from other Member States deal with immigration and asylum cases in their own jurisdiction. At the same time, the short visits provide an incredible opportunity to create informal networks among the lawyers taking part in them. The manual of best practices, which will be offered for free consultation and download on ELF’s website (and disseminated via social media), will benefit not only those lawyers who practise immigration and asylum law, but also other legal professionals in this field. In this way, TRALIM 3’s results will reach even more actors than its primarily target group of EU lawyers.
How to participate in the project’s training activities
Participation in TRALIM 3 activities is restricted to lawyers from the Bars who are partners in the project (excluding the coordinator, ELF). ELF and its partners disseminate information about upcoming events through various channels, including ELF’s social media accounts, partners’ websites, ELF’s e-newsletter, etc. The selection of lawyers participating in the project’s training activities is undertaken by each Bar for the lawyers within its jurisdiction. Therefore, lawyers eligible to participate in TRALIM 3 training activities are recommended to check their Bars’ website and ELF’s social media accounts regularly for more information. In any case, lawyers interested in the project can contact ELF for more information at: info@elf-fae.eu The TRALIM and TRALVU seminars are scheduled to take place between February 2023 and the end of 2023/beginning of 2024. The short visits will take place mostly in 2024 (except the short visit to Italy, which is expected to take place after the summer of 2023 – date to be confirmed).
This project is financed with the support of the Justice Programme of the European Union.