Title: Supporting the Greek Authorities in Managing the National Reception System for Asylum Seekers and Vulnerable Migrants (SMS)

Project Duration: 01/01/2020 – 30/06/2021

Description: IOM supports the National authorities in the management of all long-term accommodation sites in mainland Greece and aims at ensuring dignified and harmonized reception standards for applicants of international protection. With the support of the European Commission, IOM has developed the intervention and implements this project in partnership with UNICEF, and other partners such as the Danish Refugee Council Greece (DRC Greece), Arbeiter Samariter Bund (ASB), the Municipality of Athens (through the Athens Development and Destination Management Agency (ADDMA)), ARSIS, the Greek Council for Refugees (GCR), METAdrasi, Zeuxis and Terre des Hommes. The project is funded by the Directorate General Migration and Home Affairs of the European Commission (DG HOME).

Components:

Site Management Support (SMS): Supporting the day-to-day management of the accommodation sites by performing activities such as data management, reception and re allocation, distributions, and care and maintenance.

Protection: Supporting vulnerable groups through provision of direct assistance, with special focus on psychosocial and legal support and child protection, as well as the creation of safe spaces for children and women.

Interpretation: Providing interpretation services facilitating the communication of beneficiaries with site actors, as well as hospitals.

Non-Formal Education: Providing quality learning opportunities to children and youth, through homework support classes for children, educational visits and others.

Community Support and Engagement: Facilitating access to accurate and comprehensive information and service mapping, encouraging early integration and social inclusion, and promoting the participation of beneficiaries in sports, educational and recreational activities, and opportunities in and outside the sites.

Unaccompanied Migrant Children: Managing Safe Zones within selected sites through specialized Child Protection Partners to ensure maintenance, provision of food and non-food items, recreational and educational activities and specialized legal and psychosocial support.

Technical Assistance to the Greek authorities: On-the-job training and provision of operational support to the Greek authorities to enhance skills and facilitate the handover of services to the Government of Greece.

Hellenic Integration Support for Beneficiaries of International Protection (HELIOS)

Donor: Directorate General Migration and Home Affairs of the European Commission (DG HOME)

Title: Hellenic Integration Support for Beneficiaries of International Protection (HELIOS)

Duration: June 2019 – June 2021

Description: In close collaboration with national authorities and experienced Partners, through the HELIOS project IOM aims at promoting the integration of beneficiaries of international protection currently residing in temporary accommodation schemes into the Greek society, through the following components:

Integration Courses: Conduction of Integration Courses within Integration Learning Centres set-up across Greece. Each course cycle lasts for 6 months and consists of modules on Greek language learning, cultural orientation, job readiness and life skills.

Accommodation support: Supporting beneficiaries towards independent accommodation in apartments rented on their name, including by providing contributions to rental and move-in costs and networking with apartment owners.

Employability support: Provision of individual employability and job readiness support, including through job counseling, access to job-related certifications and networking with private employers.

Integration monitoring: Regular assessment of the integration progress of the beneficiaries to ensure that they will be in a position to confidently navigate through Greek public service providers once they will exit from the HELIOS project and start living independently in Greece.

Sensitization of the host community: Organization of workshops, activities and events and production of a nationwide media campaign to create exchange occasions between the hosting and the hosted communities, highlighting the value of the integration of migrants into the Greek society.

The objective of the project is two-folds:

Increasing beneficiaries’ prospects towards self-reliance and supporting them in becoming active members of the Greek society, and; Establishing an integration mechanism for beneficiaries of international protection, resulting to a rotation mechanism for the current Greek temporary accommodation system.

CITY College, University of York Europe Campus

CITY College, University of York Europe Campus is an integrated entity of the University of York and the physical presence of one of the leading UK Universities in Europe. It is a unique, international institution based in Greece but with satellite activities in 8 countries, and it is widely recognized throughout the region for its academic excellence. Throughout its 30 years of legacy, it has continued to connect the UK with the whole region, Europe, and the world.

CITY College, University of York Europe Campus embraces internationalization and gives its students the very best experiences, curricula, and traditions of the acclaimed British higher education. It transfers knowledge, in-depth research, and academic excellence across the region through its education hubs in order to build capacity and support the academic and professional aspirations of the students and their communities.

CITY College Europe Campus consists of four academic departments – the Business Administration & Economics Department, the Psychology Department, the Computer Science Department, and the English Studies Department – and offers a wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate programs.

There is a dynamic international environment across CITY’s educational bases comprising students and highly qualified faculty members from more than 60 countries, who speak over 20 languages. This provides students with the opportunity to benefit from different perspectives and gain a greater understanding of the wider world in a truly unique English language learning environment.

CITY College, University of York Europe Campus is a hub for the University of York that strives to create an inclusive international community which contributes to the public good; advances the development of people and the societies in the region; connects academic, research, government, and corporate networks throughout the region to create and share new knowledge; and creates new opportunities for all.

Students who successfully complete their studies for the University of York programs at CITY College, University of York Europe Campus are graduates of the University of York. CITY College is a private legal entity located in Thessaloniki, Greece, where it operates as a College according to the local law. CITY College is licensed by the Greek Ministry of Education and operates according to law no 3696/2008 on the establishment and operation of Colleges (official gazette no A’ 177) and 4093/2012 (official gazette no A’ 222).