Ecuador

Ecuador is home to an estimated 250,000 refugees, the largest population of refugees in Latin America. Most lack legal status. Without status, they generally find it difficult to work, enroll their children in school, or access other services. But misinformation and fear deter many refugees from seeking status.

AAE provides individualized legal advice and representation to refugees, helping them navigate the system to access their rights. Our legal advocates represent refugees erroneously denied refugee status, and engage in policy advocacy and strategic litigation to promote greater fairness in status proceedings.

AAE also helps refugees resolve other human rights violations. We help refugees assert rights to police protection, non-exploitative employment, public education, and social services. We also bring personalized legal services to refugees who are unlawfully detained. In collaboration with a local lawyer, we help refugees confront employers who illegally withhold wages.

Through Know Your Rights trainings, AAE enables refugees to understand their options and how to exercise them. We train volunteer refugee Community Legal Advisors to provide legal assistance to others in their community, and pioneered the “Encuentros de Mujeres” (Convenings of Women) to provide a safe haven for survivors of gender-based violence to focus on healing and find the strength to pursue their rights.

Through policy advocacy and strategic litigation, AAE transforms laws and policy practices for all refugees. For example, our advocacy led to the inclusion of refugees’ right to work in the Ecuadorian Constitution, enabling refugees to access safe and legal employment for the first time. We have also successfully advocated for improvements in transparency and accountability in RSD proceedings, helping refugees launch informed appeals for negative RSD decision.