Improving access to legal aid for asylum seekers and beneficiaries of international protection, and monitoring reception conditions

The Estonian Human Rights Centre (EHRC) continues its cooperation with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in 2026. The aim of the project is to ensure legal aid for asylum seekers and beneficiaries of international protection and to monitor reception conditions in Estonia, as well as to provide legal protection for beneficiaries of temporary protection in Estonia. The cooperation seeks to improve:

• access to legal aid and remedies for asylum seekers and beneficiaries of international protection in the Republic of Estonia;
• reception conditions in reception centres, the Soodevahe detention centre and at border crossing points;

During the project period, EHRC’s legal experts provide legal counselling and assistance to asylum seekers in first-instance asylum proceedings, i.e. in procedural acts carried out by the Police and Border Guard Board. The counselling includes free legal aid and the representation of asylum seekers in procedural acts carried out by the Police and Border Guard Board, including representation at asylum interviews and the preparation of written responses to preliminary decisions of the Police and Border Guard Board. In the course of counselling, the legal experts identify strategic litigation cases that could help improve the quality of the international protection procedure, i.e. the asylum procedure, in Estonia. Where necessary and in cooperation with UNHCR, EHRC’s lawyers address identified problems through targeted legal measures or direct intervention, also involving relevant national institutions, including the Office of the Chancellor of Justice and the courts, or international and regional human rights monitoring organisations. In addition to the above, the legal experts carry out monitoring visits to the Vao and Vägeva accommodation centres, the Soodevahe detention centre and the Narva border crossing point. The purpose of the monitoring visits is to collect and assess information concerning asylum