“Without legal status, it's almost as if a child's existence isn't fully recognized”.
Anna Maria, Head of Legal at The HOME Project
When people think of lawyers, they often picture courtrooms, legislation and endless paperwork. Anna Maria’s work looks very different.
As Head of Legal at The HOME Project, her days are spent preparing asylum cases, representing children before the authorities, coordinating family reunifications, navigating complex legal procedures and leading a team of nine lawyers. Yet some of the most important moments in her work happen away from meeting rooms and legal files. She spends much of her time in our shelters, getting to know the children, understanding their daily lives and building the trust that every successful case depends on.
“Many children are afraid to speak about what they have experienced”, she explains. “Some feel ashamed, others simply don't feel safe yet. You have to spend time with them, get to know them, understand their daily lives. Only then can you truly represent them”.
Anna Maria joined The HOME Project almost from its beginning, after several years of working in refugee and child protection law. While her academic background focused on European law and human rights, what attracted her to the organization was the opportunity to be part of something much bigger than legal representation. “I didn't want to simply manage legal files without ever knowing the person I was representing”, she says. “Here, you are part of a multidisciplinary team. You work alongside psychologists, social workers, educators and caregivers, all focused on helping each child build a future and achieve their full potential. Seeing the results of that collective effort transform a young person's life is the greatest reward”.
When Anna Maria first started, The HOME Project had just three shelters and no Legal Department. She helped build the department from the ground up, developing the first legal protocols, creating individualized legal files for every child and laying the foundations for what has since grown into a team of nine lawyers supporting children across every aspect of their legal journey —from asylum applications and family reunification to residence permits and other legal matters.
For Anna Maria, legal support is about far more than legal procedures. “Without legal status, it's almost as if a child's existence isn't fully recognized”, she emphasizes. “Without legal documentation, they cannot truly move forward. They cannot study, work, reunite with their family or build an independent future. Legal representation is what makes all of that possible”.
One case, in particular, has stayed with her over the years. Three siblings from Afghanistan were hoping to reunite with their sister in Sweden. Under the legal framework, only the two younger children were eligible. Their older sibling, having recently turned eighteen, risked being left behind. Working closely with colleagues across The HOME Project and the professionals who had supported the children, Anna Maria's team built a comprehensive case demonstrating why the siblings should remain together. Against the odds, the application succeeded.
“I still remember watching them leave from the airport”, she recalls. “Even they couldn't believe we had succeeded”. Today, the family remains in touch. Two of the sisters are now working as nurses, while their younger brother continues his education.
Despite bureaucracy, constantly evolving legislation and an increasingly restrictive migration environment, Anna Maria remains motivated by the children themselves. She often runs into young people she once represented. Children who arrived in Greece alone, not speaking the language and without a support network, are now completing university, building careers and growing into active members of society. Several have even returned to The HOME Project as colleagues. “For me, these young people are role models”, she highlights. “Every one of their stories reminds me why this work matters”.
Ultimately, Anna Maria believes that supporting unaccompanied children begins with recognizing one simple truth: “The fact that a child was born in another country does not make them any less of a child. They didn't choose to become refugees. They were forced to flee in order to survive. Above all else, they are children, and they deserve the same rights, the same protection and the same opportunities as every other child”.