Omar, a twenty-four-year-old asylum-seeker from Afghanistan during a Greek language class at the Greek Language School of the Municipality of Neapolis-Sykeon. In parallel, he attends a Vocational High School with a specialty in Computer Science. © UNHCR/Achilleas Zavallis.
UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, alongside partners including sister UN agencies, NGOs, municipalities and local authorities, talk with refugees and asylum-seekers around Greece to hear their views, concerns, needs, the challenges that they face, as well as the solutions they propose. This enables us to make informed decisions in line with refugee needs and recommendations towards their successful integration.
Last year, some 600 asylum-seekers and refugees from 16 different countries participated in the discussions, including men, women, children, persons with specific needs and young people. The results of this “participatory assessment” were recently published here. While the results cover a number of different areas, several key challenges and recommendations in terms of integration were highlighted.
Recognized refugees reported difficulties in accessing documentation and achieving self-reliance. They underlined the need for Greek language as a prerequisite for successful integration, stressing that learning opportunities should be available to asylum-seekers upon arrival in Greece.
During the discussions, asylum-seekers and refugees of diverse nationalities expressed gratitude for the targeted support from individual Greeks, but mentioned that knowledge of the Greek language was a barrier in building friendships.
“If you do not know the language, you are like a blind person. If you leave him in a mountain, he will not be able to find his way” said a refugee on Samos.
Lack of Greek language skills in turn impacted upon other areas, such as access to employment – including for those who are educated professionals – and housing.
A female Afghan asylum-seeker in Athens said, “I was working as a nurse in Afghanistan, here I cannot find a job as a nurse due to language barrier and different qualifications required.”
UNHCR recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Migration and Asylum aiming to support Greece’s National Integration Strategy, which will target many of these key areas of concern, including easing bureaucratic hurdles to obtaining documentation, providing targeted Greek language classes, supporting access to employment opportunities, and others.
“Speaking directly to refugees and asylum-seeker men, women, girls and boys as partners is fundamental to our work. Hearing their views, concerns and the challenges that they face, as well as the solutions they propose, allows us to address these issues adequately,” said Maria Clara Martin, UNHCR Representative in Greece.
Over 40% of the participants were women and girls. They reported facing specific dangers and challenges, including unsafe living conditions and a high risk of exploitation. The study revealed that women have less access to information, services and social networks than men, making life more risky for them and their families. Barriers to achieving self-reliance and accessing employment for single mothers include Greek language knowledge and access to day care for their children.
UNHCR is supporting the General Secretariat for Demography and Family Policy and Gender Equality (GSDFPGE) of the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, to mainstream the needs of refugee women and girls into the Greek National Action Plan for Gender Equality, 2021-2025. A Memorandum was recently signed to this effect.
While the assessment focused mainly on challenges related to refugee integration in Greece, other areas were also discussed, including community networks, discrimination, child protection, health, and services for persons with specific needs.
“Refugees are the architects of their own futures. With the right support, they can integrate and bring lasting contributions to the economies and societies of the countries hosting them,” added UNHCR Representative Maria Clara Martin.
Read here the Inter-agency Participatory Assessment for 2021: https://data2.unhcr.org/en/documents/details/90849
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