Urgent helpdesk
Defenders facing immediate risk can contact ProtectDefenders.eu through the 24/7 emergency helpline.
You can send us an encrypted message through a secure contact form.
This contact form does not handle requests or demands related to the Canada Resettlement Stream.
Individual support
If you are an at-risk human rights defender in need of support to protect you, your work or your family, you can reach out to us. Our team will assess your request and guide you through the support channels available throughout our Mechanism, including but not limited to grant-making opportunities.
Note that the Secretariat of ProtectDefenders.eu no longer assesses application forms for grants via this centralised channel.
Send a request for individual support by filling out the request form below.
The Temporary Relocation Programme
The Temporary Relocation Programme provides financial support to a host organization responsible for implementing the relocation of a selected human rights defender.
Relocations funded under the Temporary Relocation Programme for a human rights defender at risk can be in response to an increased risk, an anticipated increased risk or for a human rights defender who has been working in a difficult environment for a prolonged period of time and who needs a break.
Programme Priorities
The programme is designed to provide financial support for relocation which offers the following essential components:
(1) Holistic approach addressing various needs of human rights defenders during the relocation such as: rest and respite, professional capacity development, expanding the network of contacts, emotional and psychological well-being, family support, among others.
(2) Gender perspective to ensure the safety and well-being of all human rights defenders, taking into account the unique challenges and risks faced by women, non-binary and trans individuals, and other gender minorities.
(3) Sustainability of post-relocation phase in order to ensure that HRD will be able to continue their human rights work.
The Temporary Relocation Programme allocates funds for the relocation of HRDs with the intention of returning to their home country or region if circumstances allow, and who plan to continue their human rights work following the conclusion of their relocation.
The programme provides support for a temporary period (up to 1 year), and does not facilitate permanent relocation and/or asylum procedures.
Funding
The Temporary Relocation Programme accepts the referrals coming from ProtectDefenders.eu partners, host entities affiliated with the EU Temporary Relocation Platform and co-partners of the ProtectDefenders.eu Shelter Initiatives programme.
If you require emergency assistance, please contact us.
I am a defender or organisation at risk, how can I access support?
Frequently Asked Questions about ProtectDefenders.eu’s support
The support we can provide is mainly linked to, but not limited to, emergency grants programmes and organitional support grants run by our Consortium partners to cover urgent protection measures and support human rights organisations capacities. Each situation and case are different, and so are the grants and resources ProtectDefenders.eu mobilise. An emergency grant may cover for, among other, physical security measures (e.g., safe transportation, alarm systems), emergency relocation, legal aid (e.g., lawyer fees), medical costs or family support, but this list is nonexhaustive and you are encouraged to identify the protection needs that work best for your case. Political and advocacy support, as well as other form of non-monetary support, are also included among the support channels we can provide.
For individual support, our grants cover physical security measures (e.g., safe transportation, alarm systems), emergency relocation, legal aid (e.g., lawyer fees), medical costs or family support, and all other measures appropriate for the risk situation of the defender. Please note that measures that are not related to physical or psychological security (e.g., university education, office supplies, rent) cannot be covered by the individual support we offer. For organisational support, our grants cover capacity building, psychosocial support, security, advocacy training, and emergency relocation. Please note that, also in this case, the list is not exaustive and the organisation can propose further measures depending on their particular needs. We try to accommodate all requests, based on our internal capacities.
You can send a request for individual support through this link. You can send a request for organisational support through this link. Still unsure on how to apply? Get in touch
Not necessarily. You can send a request and communicate officially with us in English, French, Spanish, Arabic, or Russian. We will do our best to accommodate requests in other languages, too.
Through its different programmes, ProtectDefenders.eu provides support to human rights defenders at risk because of their work related to human rights. Due to our specific mandate and to budgetary constraints, ProtectDefenders.eu cannot, unfortunately, support all human rights defenders in need. However, you may find information about other organisations that can provide support to human rights defenders at risk here
It is crucial that you reply to all questions in the form. Please provide sufficient information to give an understandable overview, however you do not need to include information that is not directly related to the questions or not relevant to the present request.
The Emergency Grants programme, as implemented by our partners, can cover for a maximum of 10,000EUR, with the average grant being 3,000 EUR. However, these values are only illustrative: ProtectDefenders.eu will assess the relevance of the measures and their impact on the security situation of the defenders on a case by case basis. The organisations support programme, as implemented by our partners, can cover a meximum 15,000 EUR. However, for requests between 40,000 and 50,000 EUR partial funding may be considered.
Yes. If you are at risk and your family is in need of support as a result of it, you can request support for them.
When sending a support request, you have the possibility to indicate the protection measure best suited to address your risk situation. Our Mechanism can support several protection measures and can help the defender assess the most appropriate support options, though we strongly encourage the defender to propose the protection modalities they deem most relevant, as they are the ones best placed to decide upon their own security.
After you have submitted your request, it will be reviewed by the ProtectDefenders.eu secretariat. If it meets our criteria, you will be guided through available support channels within and outside of our Mechanism, based on your needs, and thematic and geographical focus. It will be up to you to then practically navigate and reach out to the support channels suggested, although we will be available for assistance and guidance in the process as needed.
Only one request per Human Rights Defender will be processed at a time. If you send several requests, you will be asked to choose which one shall be processed. Also, if you have applied to different programs outside of ProtectDefenders.eu at the same time, please indicate this in your request form. However, one requester can submit requests for different Human Rights Defenders at the same time.
In order to inquire about the status of your support request, please reach out to: support@protectdefenders.eu for individual and organisational requests
If your request has been rejected, you will be informed of this outcome by the ProtectDefenders.eu secretariat. Otherwise, you will receive a reply from the Secretariat addressing your support request.
Yes, all information that you give is kept confidential. If your request for support is accepted, you will be asked whether the information you have provided shall be kept confidential or can be shared. You can then choose between the two options.
If you believe that you have been negatively affected by the actions of ProtectDefenders.eu or its representatives, you can submit a complaint through our website and we will review it thoroughly. If you do not have a specific complaint but would like to provide feedback regarding our work, you can also use this channel to communicate your feedback to us.
The Canadian Referral Stream for Human Rights Defenders (funded by the Government of Canada)
The Canadian Referral Stream for Human Rights Defenders
The Government of Canada has established a dedicated refugee resettlement stream for human rights defenders, and is working with ProtectDefenders.eu and Front Line Defenders, alongside other Canadian and international partners, including the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), to identify human rights defenders who face risks and are in need of resettlement.
ProtectDefenders.eu is a referral partner for the Government of Canada. Under the ProtectDefenders.eu global stream, a limited number of resettlement spaces for human rights defenders (including family members) are identified and filled by the programme’s network of referral partners. Applications must be referred by a referral partner; individuals cannot apply directly for resettlement or make a claim at a Canadian mission or embassy.
