Free general and human-rights help — by country
Ombudsmen, national human-rights commissions and free-advice services that can take up your case or point you to the right channel — especially useful for migrant workers and anyone unsure where to start.
Use these when the problem crosses agencies or you have hit a wall: a federal or banking ombudsman can compel a government body or bank to act, and national human-rights commissions can intervene in labour, detention and migrant-worker cases. All are free and none require a lawyer to start.
| Country | Official body | Call | Online |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | Legal Services Corporation / LawHelpFree civil legal aid for low-income people through local LSC-funded programs; LawHelp.org finds your local legal-aid office and self-help resources.Legal basis: Legal Services Corporation Act | — | www.lsc.gov |
| Saudi Arabia | NajizFile and track court cases online and request execution/enforcement — for example, to collect on a judgment or a debt — without visiting a courthouse.Legal basis: Enforcement Law and the Law of Civil Procedure | — | www.najiz.sa |
| Qatar | HukoomiNational e-government portal that explains how and where to file complaints across agencies (labour, consumer, housing) and access government services. | — | hukoomi.gov.qa/en |
| Bahrain | National Institution for Human Rights (NIHR)Independent human-rights body that receives complaints, including labour and migrant-worker issues, and refers them to the relevant authority.Legal basis: National Institution for Human Rights mandate | — | www.nihr.org.bh |
| Kuwait | PACICivil ID and the Sahel / Kuwait Mobile ID app used to access most government e-services and file many official requests.Legal basis: Civil Information Law | — | www.paci.gov.kw |
| Oman | Migrant-Rights.orgIndependent advocacy group that maintains a directory of active NGOs and embassy welfare contacts for migrant workers across the Gulf, including Oman — useful when your own country's embassy attaché is hard to reach. | — | www.migrant-rights.org |
| India | NALSAFree legal aid and Lok Adalats; every district has a Legal Services Authority that provides a free lawyer to those who qualify (women, SC/ST, low-income, migrant workers).Legal basis: Legal Services Authorities Act 1987 | — | nalsa.gov.in |
| Pakistan | Wafaqi MohtasibFree complaints against any federal agency's maladministration — delays, denial of service, unfair treatment. Fast, no lawyer needed.Legal basis: Establishment of the Office of Wafaqi Mohtasib (Ombudsman) Order 1983 | — | www.mohtasib.gov.pk |
| Bangladesh | National Human Rights CommissionIndependent commission that receives complaints of rights violations, including labour and detention issues, and refers them to authorities.Legal basis: National Human Rights Commission Act 2009 | — | nhrc.portal.gov.bd |
| Indonesia | Komnas HAMReceives complaints of human-rights violations, including labour, land and discrimination issues, and can mediate or investigate.Legal basis: Human Rights Law (Law 39/1999) | — | komnasham.go.id |
| United Kingdom | Citizens AdviceFree, independent advice on employment, housing, consumer, debt and benefits, and runs the Consumer Service that feeds Trading Standards. | 0800 144 8848 | www.citizensadvice.org.uk |
| Ireland | Citizens InformationFree, independent advice on every category — employment, housing, social welfare, consumer — and routes you to the right statutory body. | 0818 07 4000 | www.citizensinformation.ie |
| France | Défenseur des droitsIndependent rights ombudsman — discrimination, disputes with a public service, children's rights, and complaints about the conduct of police or security forces.Legal basis: Loi organique n° 2011-333 | — | www.defenseurdesdroits.fr |
| Germany | Antidiskriminierungsstelle des BundesFederal anti-discrimination agency — free advice and support for discrimination in work, services and housing under the General Equal Treatment Act.Legal basis: Allgemeines Gleichbehandlungsgesetz (AGG) | — | www.antidiskriminierungsstelle.de |
| Singapore | Legal Aid BureauFree/subsidised civil legal aid for those who pass a means test; the Law Society's Criminal Legal Aid Scheme and Community Legal Clinics cover other needs.Legal basis: Legal Aid and Advice Act | — | www.mlaw.gov.sg/lab |
| Denmark | Folketingets OmbudsmandFree complaints about decisions and conduct of public authorities, including police and prisons; free legal aid is available via Retshjælpen.Legal basis: Ombudsmandsloven | — | www.ombudsmanden.dk |
| Iceland | Umboðsmaður AlþingisFree complaints about the decisions and conduct of public authorities, including police and immigration.Legal basis: Act on the Parliamentary Ombudsman | — | www.umbodsmadur.is |
| Canada | Canadian Human Rights CommissionDiscrimination in federally-regulated work and services; provincial human-rights commissions cover everything else (most workplaces, housing, services).Legal basis: Canadian Human Rights Act | — | www.chrc-ccdp.gc.ca/en/complaints |
| Australia | Australian Human Rights CommissionFree complaints and conciliation for discrimination in work, services and housing (race, sex, disability, age); state anti-discrimination bodies also take complaints.Legal basis: Australian Human Rights Commission Act 1986 and the discrimination Acts | — | humanrights.gov.au/complaints/make-complaint |
| New Zealand | Human Rights Commission / Community LawFree help with discrimination in work, services and housing; Community Law Centres and Citizens Advice Bureaux give free legal advice on any issue.Legal basis: Human Rights Act 1993 | — | www.hrc.co.nz |
| Mexico | CNDHComplaints of human-rights violations by a federal authority — including police abuse and migrant-rights issues; state commissions cover state authorities.Legal basis: Ley de la Comisión Nacional de los Derechos Humanos | — | www.cndh.org.mx |
Each entry links to the official body and shows the date we last verified it. This is legal information, not advice, and we don't take payment to list anyone. See the full country directories for every channel, not just the headline one.