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“Professional and independent legal counselling and legal representation solely committed to the interests of the persons seeking protection, most of whom are unfamiliar with the law and often also with the language, is a cornerstone of a fair trial”.

Further information can be found in the report of the ÖRAK, which can be downloaded from the following link: https://www.rechtsanwaelte.at/fileadmin/user_upload/PDF/02_Kammer/Stellungnahmen/Wahrnehmungsbericht/wnb_2018-2019screen.pdf

“In recent years, asylum and alien law has become one of the most complicated legal matters in the Austrian legal system. People who have only recently arrived in Austria and who often escape from conflict regions are personally affected by this complex legal matter. The decision of the Austrian asylum authorities determines their future, but often remains incomprehensible to them at first.

If asylum seekers want to have the official decision reviewed by independent judges, they are regularly dependent on legal support. However, access to justice should not depend on how much money you have or where you come from. ZEBRA is a non-profit organisation that has been working to promote human rights for over 30 years. The voluntary initiative Betrifft:Asyl complements the diverse range of services offered by the Intercultural Counselling and Therapy Centre – and makes the law accessible. In our open consultation hours, we explain official decisions and answer questions on asylum procedures. We provide free and independent advice. Through legal research and the drafting of statements, we support asylum seekers in the effective implementation of their rights in appeal proceedings.

We believe that Betrifft:Asyl affects us all, as equal access to justice is the foundation of our constitutional state. Through our counselling services, we want to help ensure that everyone is equal before the law. If human rights are only guaranteed in theory, but cannot be enforced in practice, they are ultimately worth nothing. That is why the voluntary commitment of our team, consisting of experienced lawyers supported by dedicated law students, is priceless. In order to be able to continue to offer free and independent legal advice, we depend on voluntary donations. Every Euro will make the law simple:

https://www.zebra.or.at/onlinespenden (in the field “Comments” please state “Betrifft:Asyl” as the reason for payment).

We would like to thank Dr. Thomas Becker, RAⁱⁿ Mag.^a Sarah Kumar and RA Mag. Taner Önal for their professional support and legal supervision. Further cooperation partners are the European Training and Research Centre for Human Rights and Democracy and Diakonie Graz. We would like to take this opportunity to thank Ronald Frühwirth in particular for his encouragement and support in the initial phase of the project.”

This would result in the end of independent asylum counselling in Austria and in the isolation of persons seeking protection.

Restricting access to independent legal counselling and independent legal representation is incompatible with the right to a fair trial and the right to an effective legal remedy. Legal counselling and legal representation may only serve the interests of clients.

Further information is available at https://www.fairlassen.at/