Hogan Lovells together with the Italian Coalition for Civil Liberties and Rights (CILD), in association with law firms Dentons, Linklaters, and Orrick launched the Italian Pro Bono Collaboration for Afghan Refugees (Italian acronym CIPBRA) for the protection of Afghan refugees seeking sanctuary in Italy.

The initiative, which will run for at least a year, is being launched at a critical moment in European migration flows, as the regime change in Afghanistan in August 2021 and resumption of power by the Taliban, has led to significant ramifications for existing and potential new Afghan refugees in the region.

Hogan Lovells' support of this initiative builds on our wide range of pro bono and volunteer work around the world to assist Afghan refugees.

IOM Afghanistan has numbered the people affected by the crisis at over 3.6 million and over 6 months after the return of the Taliban, the IOM estimates that more than half of the Afghan population is in need of humanitarian assistance. More than 700,000 people have been displaced and Afghans, and in particular womenand girls, are facing increasing vulnerabilities and protection risks.

The Italian Coalition for Civil Liberties and Rights (CILD) has received several requests from Afghan people who need legal assistance to be granted sanctuary in Italy - above all from categories of people at risk such as women and human rights activists, who urgently need help. Today their lives remain hanging in the balance.

In response, the four above-mentioned international law firms and CILD have united to deliver the CIPBRA initiative, which will provide pro bono legal advice and representation largely to Afghan asylum seekers seeking to access, and settle in, Italy.

Carlo Massini, partner of Hogan Lovells in Italy leading this initiative comments: “The cooperation with other law firms to support Afghan people is a great example of our pro bono aim and activities. We are very proud of this project to give to Afghan asylum seekers a better start in life.”