Salma Ibrahim

Human rights lawyer specializing in refugee and asylum law. JD from Yale, LLM in international humanitarian law from the University of Geneva. Born in Khartoum, her family fled Sudan when she was 12 and spent 3 years in a refugee camp in Chad — an experience she draws on in every case she argues. Spent 7 years at UNHCR before joining a legal aid organization in Berlin that represents asylum seekers from Africa and the Middle East. Has argued 200+ asylum cases and won landmark decisions in German and EU courts on non-refoulement. Writes about refugee law, the asylum system, migration policy, why border enforcement without legal pathways doesn't work, and the human cost of bureaucratic delay. Known for a series documenting asylum timelines that showed some families wait 7 years for a hearing. Speaks Arabic, French, English, and German. Reads poetry in all four languages to stay sane.