Our students in international immersion in Athens

On 23 and 24 April 2026, several students from the Master’s 2 programme in Human Rights, Security and Development of the Faculty of Law of the Université Catholique de Lille took part in an international conference organised at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, in partnership with the C3RD and the European Lawyers in Lesvos (ELIL) organisation.

Entitled “Governing Asylum at the EU External Borders: The Transformation of Border Governance under the New Pact on Migration and Asylum”, this event – organised under the academic supervision of Dr Silvia Bartolini (Associate Professor of EU Law and co-director of the Bilingual European Law Degree – FLD), Pr. Revekka-Emmanouela Papadopoulou (Professor of EU Law – National and Kapodistrian University of Athens) and Sian Donkers (PhD candidate in EU Asylum Law – Scuola Superiore di Sant’Anna), brought together students, academics, legal practitioners and civil society representatives to discuss a topic at the heart of current European issues: the evolution of migration policies and asylum law at the European Union’s external borders.

This initiative falls within the scope of the European Asylum Law Legal Clinic, offered as part of the Master’s programme, which provides a complete experience combining academic research, public speaking in an international context and practical work experience in the field.

A research study on major legal issues

Throughout the year, students undertook supervised research into a range of issues relating to changes in European asylum law, particularly in the context of the new European Pact on Migration and Asylum.

The conference addressed a number of key issues: border control procedures, the risks of detention, the protection of unaccompanied minors, the outsourcing of migration policies, and the role of fundamental rights in the management of migration flows.

Alongside many international experts from Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Georgia and Hungary, the Faculty of Law of the Université Catholique de Lille was represented by Sarah Durelle-Marc (Dean of our faculty), as well as by Ioannis Panoussis (Professor of International Law) and Silvia Bartonolini (Associate Professor of EU Law).

Students make their voices heard on the international stage

A highlight of this experience was our students presenting their work on the final day of the conference, which was dedicated to the Legal Clinic of the Master’s programme in Human Rights, Security and Development.

Two groups were thus able to address sensitive issues:

• “Screening at the EU External Border and the Risk of De Facto Detention”, presented by Leonider Opande and Megi Tymi;
• “Age Assessment as a Gateway to Child Protection: Does the New Pact Ensure the Best Interests of the Child for Unaccompanied Minors?”, presented by Louise Coupez, Léonore Dubost and Mélanie Morel.

A valuable opportunity for them to showcase several months of research within an international academic setting and to engage with leading experts in European asylum law.

Real-world experience with European Lawyers in Lesvos

Following the conference, the experience will continue with an immersive internship alongside the teams of the European Lawyers in Lesvos organisation. Whilst there, our students will volunteer to provide legal support to people seeking international protection and gain first-hand insight into the realities of asylum law on the field.

Experiences

The accounts of the students who also took part in this experience last year illustrate the impact of this event:

For Eloïse C., this assignment was “immensely valuable, both personally and professionally”.

Lucy M., for her part, highlights the coherence of the project: “From writing the report to the conference and then the internship, every step made sense. It allowed me to throw myself fully into a cause that is close to my heart.”

Finally, Lallie speaks of a deeply moving experience: “Working alongside asylum seekers and the ELIL teams was a life-changing experience that I will never forget.”

Through this Legal Clinic, the Faculty of Law of the Université Catholique de Lille reaffirms its commitment to offering educational experiences that go beyond the traditional academic framework. Applied research, international engagement and practical involvement: this programme enables students to develop strong legal skills whilst giving meaning to their studies. It is a great illustration of our faculty’s international outlook and commitment.

Special thanks to organisers and speakers for this excellent programme: Dr. Silvia BARTOLINI – Associate Professor in EU law, Co-director LLB Programme EU and International Law Studies (Licence de Droit Européen bilingue) FLD/C3RD, Pr. Revekka-Emmanouela PAPADOPOULOU – Professor of EU Law, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Sian DONKERS – PhD candidate in EU Asylum law, Scuola Superiore di Sant’Anna, Sarah DURELLE-MARC – Dean of the FLD, Phil WORTHINGTON – Managing Director, European Lawyers in Lesvos (ELIL), Eleonora CELORIA – Lawyer, Post-doc Universita Studi di Torino, Anikó BAKONYI – Director, Refugee Programme, Hungarian Helsinki Committee Budapest, Chrysoula ARCHONTAKI and Christina VOULIMENEA – European Lawyers in Lesvos (ELIL), Anastasios BRAKATSOULAS – Researcher and Teaching Assistant, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Ketevan KHUTSISHVILI – Professor in International Law, Director, International Criminal Law Centre, Tbilisi State University, Metaxia KOUSKOUNA – Professor in EU law, National and Kapodistrian Univeristy of Athens, Ioanna THEODOROPOULOU – Legal Advisor EUAA-MoMA, Agostina PIRRELLO – PhD Candidate in EU Asylum Law, Utrecht University, et Ioannis PANOUSSIS – Professor in International Law FLD.

Congratulations to our students: Leonider OPANDE, Megi TYMI, Louise COUPEZ, Léonore DUBOST and Mélanie MOREL!