A series of five information sessions on focusing on the importance of civil documentation and access to free legal aid were conducted in Skopje (Shuto Orizari and Gazi Baba municipalities), Kičevo, Bitola, and Kumanovo. The activities conducted by the Macedonian Young Lawyers Association with the support of EU and Council of Europe informed members of the Roma community regarding the significance of having proper civil documentation.

During the sessions, MYLA’s legal team identified 20 new individuals at risk of statelessness due to the lack of civil documentation. The majority of these individuals are children. During the meeting, each person received legal advice from MYLA’s lawyers. They also attended a session on free legal aid, which was organised under the EU and Council of Europe joint action “Towards a Consolidated and More Efficient Free Legal Aid (FLA) System in North Macedonia”, where they were informed on how to access and use free legal aid services.

To support such cases, MYLA will initiate legal procedures to help them obtain civil documentation, including birth registration, recognition of paternity, regulation of residence, and naturalization. This activity is supported by the Joint Programme of the European Union and the Council of Europe Roma Integration Phase III.

In parallel with these sessions, a series of micro-promotional events were organised in seven municipalities across North Macedonia from 5 to 15 May 2025. These events informed the local communities about the process of obtaining civil documentation and the free legal aid services available to them.

Through these public meetings, local communities had the opportunity to receive detailed information on where and how to access free legal aid. Participants also asked concrete questions and inquiries directly to legal experts. User-friendly informational materials were distributed, covering key topics such as domestic violence, property rights, anti-discrimination, and social protection.

These activities were organised under the framework of the European Union and Council of Europe joint action “Towards a Consolidated and More Efficient Free Legal Aid (FLA) System in North Macedonia” (part of the Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye) and the Joint Programme of the European Union and the Council of Europe “Roma Integration – Phase III”, in close co-operation with the Ministry of Justice of North Macedonia and the National Coordination Body for Free Legal Aid.