Greater Manchester Law Centre management members and Kenworthys barristers Mark Schwenk and John Nicholson have been assisting the “Refugee Legal Support” project, based at the Khora Community Centre in Athens.
The project has only been up and running for about 6 months and it is now seeing substantial numbers of people every day who have been trying to find a peaceful life in Europe, having fled from war-torn Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan. Many have come via the Greek islan
ds, which they have reached only through dangerously crossing the Mediterranean in makeshift boats, while subject to possible sinking or sending away before they even arrive there.
As barristers, Mark and John have been offering qualified legal advice about re-uniting with family members who may have succeeded in reaching other countries in the EU, and also assisting with processing the claims of people seeking asylum in Greece.
As founding members of the law centre here in Manchester, they have also offered advice to the volunteers at Khora on the development of the project locally in Athens; the Khora centre is based in the generally run-down district of Exarchion, now home to many migrants and otherwise homeless people, and the centre’s volunteers offer clothing, food, safe space for women, play area for children, as well as a barber and dentist.
For more information on Khora see here.
