Three years ago, people fleeing violence in the Middle East and South and Central Asia viewed Greece as an entry point to Europe. Today, Greece has become something like a holding pen for people seeking asylum. The 50,000-plus refugees in Greece can no longer legally travel deeper into Europe; most will likely remain in the country. Integration is key to ensuring that they build successful lives in what is their new home, a challenging task in any country but exacerbated in Greece because of its ongoing financial difficulties.
In Greece, the IRC are focused on livelihoods programming to support integration, and are working with local partners to implement self-employment and employment readiness programs for both refugees and local residents.
The IRC provides refugees in Greece—whether they are on the move, in camps, or living in urban settings—with credible, up-to-date information about available services, legal rights, and options for asylum, relocation and family reunification. One way they do this is through Refugee.Info, a mobile-friendly website available in Arabic, Farsi, French and English. Refugee.Info content is also available on Facebook. The IRC has created Safe Zones for unaccompanied and separated children in two refugee camps on the Greek mainland. These safe zones provide children with a safe alternative to police detention until they are reunified with family or placed in shelters or foster care. They also provide a variety of support services to vulnerable children in three other camps.
The IRC is collaborating with Greece’s ministry of migration policy and local and international humanitarian organizations to address violence against women and girls and to meet the mental health and psychosocial needs of all refugees and asylum seekers. These services, which include counseling and outreach, are provided in Athens, Thessaloniki and four camps on the mainland. The IRC is also responding to the mental health needs of asylum seekers in overcrowded reception centers on the islands of Lesbos and Chios.
The IRC provides much-needed water, sanitation and hygiene at two refugee sites in Greece: Eleonas, just outside of Athens, and Kara Tepe on Lesbos. Here, they provide access to drinking water, toilets, hot showers, laundry facilities and supplies like soap, shampoo and toothpaste. They also teach basic hygiene techniques that help prevent the spread of disease, and ensure that rubbish and recyclable items are collected regularly.
