Employers discuss with refugees and asylum-seekers about available job opportunities, during the fourth and largest job fair that has been organized on Lesvos. © UNHCR/Achilleas Zavallis
More than 450 participations from refugees and asylum-seekers, along with some 30 employers from various parts of Greece, were recorded in a well-attended job fair held on 27 and 28 February in Lesvos’ Closed Controlled Access Centre (CCAC). Either with physical or online presence, employers showed keen interest in interviewing prospective employees, engaging in discussions about available job opportunities across diverse sectors, spanning from hospitality and construction to agriculture, recycling and technology.
The two-day event was organized by the Reception and Identification Service of the Ministry of Migration and Asylum and UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, in cooperation with IOM Greece via HELIOS Project, funded by the Ministry of Migration and Asylum, and the support of 16 non-governmental organizations*, including UNHCR partner METAdrasi, which facilitated the participation of several employers.
Deputy Minister for Migration and Asylum Sofia Voultepsi (L) and the UNHCR Representative in Greece Maria Clara Martin (C) give a press conference on the first day of the job fair on Lesvos. © UNHCR/Achilleas Zavallis
Refugees and asylum-seekers queue to participate in the 4th job fair organized in CCAC Lesvos. © UNHCR/Achilleas Zavallis
Residents of the Closed Controlled Access Centre (CCAC) on Lesvos read a poster with information about the job fair. © UNHCR/Achilleas Zavallis
Maria Louisa, a young asylum-seeker from Angola, discusses with representatives from a large hotel chain in Greece. © UNHCR/Achilleas Zavallis
More than 450 refugees and asylum-seekers, alongside some 30 employers from all over Greece, participated in the 4th job fair held in Lesvos. © UNHCR/Achilleas Zavallis
Speaking at the press conference inaugurating the job fair, Deputy Migration and Asylum Minister, Ms. Sofia Voultepsi, referred to the recent legislative amendment allowing asylum-seekers to work legally two months post-application. “This is the right timing to promote similar initiatives, career days for refugees, across Greece. We know that people arriving here want to work and achieve self-reliance. We also know that employers are looking for workforce. Matching these two has always been challenging but this is precisely the objective we are committed to achieving”, remarked Ms. Voultepsi during her address.
On her part, the UNHCR Representative in Greece, Ms Maria Clara Martin, underlined that job fairs are in line with the objectives of the National Integration Strategy. “In Greece there are currently some 75,000 refugees, who have skills that the country needs, and this can be a win-win situation benefitting employers, refugees and the state alike. This is also a way to achieve peaceful co-existence”, she noted.
Furthermore, Ms Martin highlighted the online job matching platform, run by UNHCR and its partners, connecting refugees looking for a job with prospective employers country-wide.
This was the fourth job fair organized on the island of Lesvos, with growing participation over time. Everybody expressed their appreciation for the constructive and useful event, which unfolded in a positive atmosphere.
Notably, for the first time, young individuals, former unaccompanied minors, who are now hosted in apartments run by Iliaktida AMKE on Lesvos, had the opportunity to take part. One such participant, Samrwite, a young woman from Eritrea, stressed the importance of being self-sufficient through gainful employment. “Standing on my own two feet will not only alleviate financial stress but also enable me to pursue my passion for psychology studies”, she affirmed.
Maria Louisa (L) and Samrwite (R), young asylum-seekers from Angola and Eritrea respectively, participated in the 4th Lesvos job fair, and stressed the importance of being self-sufficient through gainful employment. © UNHCR/Achilleas Zavallis
Her friend, Maria Louisa, echoed this sentiment. She is from Angola and speaks four languages. “Being alone here, I recognize the necessity of self-reliance. I understand that it’s up to me to take care of myself—I don’t rely on others for that. That’s why finding employment is crucial to me. I have confidence in my abilities and am optimistic about the future.”, she said. What advice would she give to fellow young refugees searching for their path? “I would tell them that three things are important: focus on education, learn the local language and don’t give up”.
*Other partners that contributed significantly included UNHCR-funded Diotima, PRAKSIS, Greek Council for Refugees (GCR) and Rad Music International, as well as the following organizations: Drop in the Ocean (Dråpen i Havet), Movement On The Ground, Eurorelief, Bashira, Iliaktida Amke, HIAS Greece, European Lawyers in Lesvos (ELIL), Siniparxi, Lesvos Solidarity, Caritas Hellas and Changemakers’ Lab. Additionally, the Migrant Integration Centre (KEM) of Mytilene Municipality provided refugees with information on social allowances, while the European Commission and Frontex offered additional support.
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