MAP, formerly known as the Migration and Asylum Project, is an initiative of The Ara Trust, a private charitable trust registered under the Indian Trusts Act of 1882.
We began with a simple belief: the most marginalised must have meaningful access to the law. Over time, we learned that lasting change requires stronger systems to deliver justice.
Our Story
MAP was founded in 2013 by Roshni Shanker, who was then working as a lawyer with UNHCR’s field offices, assessing asylum claims from conflict-affected countries.
Roshni realised that traditional humanitarian interventions often fail to recognise the importance of legal assistance in post-displacement recovery and rehabilitation. Recognising that these gaps would be better addressed at the grassroots by organisations familiar with the local context, Roshni decided to leave the UN and returned to India to set up the first such organisation: the Migration and Asylum Project.
In 2026, we became the Margins to Access Project. As our work evolved from providing legal assistance to strengthening the systems that enable access to justice, our name evolved to reflect our broader mission to ensure that marginalised communities can access justice, rights, and protection in a meaningful way.
Key Milestones
MAP is registered (No. 231661673) under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act 2010 and under Sections 12A and 80G of the Income Tax Act, 1961.
To view our audited financial statements: 2017-18, 2018-19, 2019-20, 2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
To view our latest annual reports: 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025.
10th anniversary
celebration
'Memories of my Homeland' was a 4-day cultural event and exhibition organised by MAP in partnership with Alliance Française de Delhi to celebrate our 10-year anniversary in 2023.
