Who we are
We support people who face criminal charges for migrating themselves or for helping others to do so. We connect them with lawyers, maintain contact with their families, provide support in prison, accompany and document cases and court proceedings, and carry out campaigns and public advocacy.
The focus of our work is on supporting people from third countries, often refugees themselves, who are arbitrarily and routinely arrested and criminalized as so-called smugglers. Just because they were steering a boat or driving a car or were the only person on board who could speak English.
They usually have little or no financial resources and support structures in Europe and receive little public attention.
With our work, we advocate for an end to the criminalization of refugees and unrestricted freedom of movement for all.
Thanks to our many years of work, we are one of the central points of contact for people affected by criminalization.
de:criminalize e.V. emerged from the anti-criminalization working group of borderline-europe – Menschenrechte ohne Grenzen e.V. in 2024.
As a working group, we supported over 60 people who were criminalized in the course of their migration between 2020 and 2024.
Our work does not take place in a vacuum. Rather, our fight for freedom of movement for all is embedded in the anti-racist and internationalist, anti-colonial, anti-imperialist, anti-capitalist, anti-fascist, anti-patriarchal and feminist struggle. We stand up against all forms of oppression.
Fight borders not smugglers!
We are part of a transnational network of amazing groups and organizations across Europe and beyond, working together in solidarity to fight against criminalization.
