Salim* arrived in Greece after fleeing to escape violence and persecution in Sudan. He should have finally been safe. However, his story exposes the failings of the Greek asylum system that leave so many people seeking safety in limbo.
12 million people have fled Sudan in search of safety since the civil war began in April 2023, and more than 150,000 people have died in the conflict.
Those fleeing Sudan have often faced unimaginable atrocities. They need compassion and help to find safety. However, they’re often caught up in dysfunctional systems, facing lengthy delays and bureaucratic hurdles.
Without RLS lawyer Artemis, we don’t know how long Salim would have been waiting to receive refugee status.
Finding security is almost impossible without high quality legal support, but this is harder to find than ever. Our work is vital.
This winter, we need to raise £8,000 so that we can continue supporting people like Salim to navigate a complex system. If you’re able to, please visit our CrowdJustice page and make a pledge today: https://www.crowdjustice.com/case/stand-with-people-seeking-safety-this-winter/
Salim’s life in Sudan
Salim was born and raised in Khartoum. His family comes from a tribal group, and they faced regular discrimination because of their background.
Despite this, he overcame barriers and graduated with a degree from the University of Science and Technology. Later, he met his wife, and they had four children together.
Political activism
Even before Sudan’s civil war began in 2023, Salim was politically active. He wanted to see real change in the country, and he wanted a civil, democratic state.
Salim became the spokesperson for his neighbourhood’s “resistance committee”, and he became well known locally. This visibility made Salim a target.
He was abducted. We’ve omitted the details of the violence he endured during this time for his privacy.
A difficult decision
Salim had to leave Sudan for his own safety. He had no choice but to leave his family behind and seek protection elsewhere.
He travelled to Turkey with a visa and tried to find work there. However, he was unable to get a residence permit, meaning he couldn’t access essential social services.
He had to move again.
Arrival in Greece
Salim arrived in Greece in August 2024, where he applied for asylum.
His case should have been resolved quickly as:
- Sudanese people are recognised for protection in almost 100% of cases in Greece as the situation at home is so dangerous
- Salim had extensive documentation showing his political background and the danger he would face if he returned
But his interview was postponed due to a shortage of interpreters in the Greek asylum system.
While waiting for the rearranged interview, it was postponed again. He was trapped in uncertainty, without any sign of his case progressing.
When speaking with Salim, he explained that “starting from zero” is difficult, and you face many challenges. These challenges are worsened by an asylum system designed to shut you out.
Salim was left in limbo and vulnerable. He couldn’t apply to be reunited with his family, and he was unable to move forward with his life in Greece.
RLS lawyers step in
Salim urgently tried to find legal support. He asked 16 different organisations for help, and only four replied. Three of these had no capacity to help him, but the fourth was RLS.
RLS lawyer Artemis took on his case and tried to accelerate things. When talking about his experience working with Artemis, Salim told us that she was more like a “nice friend, not just a lawyer.”
She was able to bring his asylum interview forward to January 2025, much sooner than expected. Without RLS’s intervention, we don’t know how long he would’ve been waiting.
Artemis prepared Salim for his interview, represented him at the appointment, and connected him with other organisations for additional support, such as a social worker.
A long-awaited positive decision
In March 2025, Salim was finally granted refugee status.
This means that he has:
- Legal status and protection
- The right to work
- Access to the same rights and benefits as Greek citizens
- The ability to apply for his family to join him in Greece through the Family Reunion procedure
He finally has a sense of security.
We’re now helping Salim’s family find safety
There’s more work to do on Salim’s case. We’ll stick with him until it’s resolved.
Salim’s family are still in Sudan, and he hasn’t seen them for over three years. We’re helping him navigate the family reunification process so they can join him in Greece.
However, this process is complex with significant bureaucratic hurdles.
Salim needs authenticated documents from his family. But the Greek embassy in Sudan has closed due to security concerns.
His family therefore need to travel to Egypt, but this is very difficult and unsafe.
The Greek government offers no meaningful assistance in obtaining authentication, despite their strict rules about the authentication of documents. Even in Salim’s case, where his family are vulnerable due to his political background, they’re still required to jump through administrative hoops to find safety.
We’ll continue to support Salim through this process, and we’ll represent him in a family reunion procedure when the time comes.
In the meantime, Salim is in constant contact with his community. Many Sudanese people contact him when they arrive in Greece for help and advice.
When asked if he has any words of encouragement for people in a similar situation, Salim said that it is essential to make friends, “we all need other human beings to support us,” even if they’re not related by blood.
This winter, we need to raise £8,000 to continue providing urgent legal support to people like Salim and his family. If you can, please donate to our CrowdJustice page today: https://www.crowdjustice.com/case/stand-with-people-seeking-safety-this-winter/
*We’ve changed Salim’s name to protect his identity.
