Special projects

Changes in migration flows in Europe, including those due to crises in Ukraine and Afghanistan, are leading to the increased frequency of violations of the human rights of asylum-seekers, refugees and migrants.In response, 8 international law firms and CILD united to deliver the Rule 39 Pro Bono Initiative, a project under which lawyers provide pro bono legal assistance via submitting cases to the European Court of Human Rights.

CILD regularly receives requests from Afghan refugees who need legal assistance to be granted sanctuary in Italy. In response, four international law firms and CILD united to deliver the CIPBRA initiative, aimed at providing pro bono legal advice and representation to Afghan asylum seekers seeking to access and settle in Italy. Some will be looking to reunify with family members but all will be hoping for the humanitarian assistance and care they should be afforded as refugees – the importance of which has been highlighted recently.

For three years, the pandemic has been ravaging societies and economies. Meanwhile, disparities in access to vaccines and other health technologies have resulted in different paths of recovery, with many countries yet to see any light at the end of the tunnel. Since 2021, CILD has joined with over 100 civil society organisations in expressing our serious concerns regarding the position of the European Commission and Italy on efforts to increase access to COVID-19 vaccines, treatment and other medical technologies by means of supporting a TRIPS waiver and has so far signed a number of letters advocating for its adoption and adoption of similar measures.