Europe

Greece

Greece has been a crossroad for migrants, refugees and asylum seekers fleeing war, violence, persecution and economic and environmental disaster for decades. DRC has been present in Greece since 2015, when more than a million people fleeing conflict in the Middle East, South and Central Asia passed through the country, triggering the provision of emergency humanitarian support for the first time inside the European Union.

Current situation

DRC works at various sites on the Greek mainland providing protection assistance, legal aid, and non-formal education. In urban settings, DRC supports migrants with cultural mediation and integration courses that include language and soft skills.

Land and sea arrivals through the Eastern Mediterranean route significantly decreased between 2019 and 2022, while the regulation and management of reception and integration have increasingly moved under governmental bodies and national authorities.

Core sectors Greece

Protection

Economic Recovery

Humanitarian Disarmament and Peacebuilding

Shelter and Settlements

Camp Coordination and Camp Management

Displacement trends

Source: | UNHCR

News

26 Jan 2023

Protecting Rights at Borders: Beaten, punished, and pushed back
29 Dec 2022

DRC Greece: Access to schools for migrant and refugee children
30 Nov 2022

Free2Link comes to an end!
02 Jul 2022

Supporting refugees integration in Greece
22 Jul 2021

Supporting refugees in open sites in Greece
02 Jul 2021

“Refugees need a proper living space as much as anyone else”

Documents

26 Jan 2023

PRAB resources
21 Jan 2023

Greece: Open invitation to online courses in Explosive Ordnance Risk Education (EORE) by DRC Ukraine
16 Dec 2022

Transparency
20 Oct 2022

DRC Greece Ukraine Emergency Response Helpline
20 Oct 2022

DRC projects in Greece
01 Sep 2022

Dashboards | Ukraine crisis response

Why we are there

DRC is one of the key humanitarian actors for people affected by displacement operating in Greece. Up until now, support has been needed to ensure that reception and accommodation facilities are dignified, well staffed, culturally appropriate, and respectful of humanitarian standards.

DRC Greece has also worked to provide relevant and timely information, protection assistance, legal aid, and integration opportunities.

What we do

DRC Greece maintains a presence in six temporary accommodation facilities, providing a range of support services including protection assistance, legal aid, school readiness, as well as skills development and employability activities.

In addition, since 2019 DRC Greece has operated Integration Learning Centers (ILCs) in the regions of Attika and Thessaly, providing Greek language courses and soft skills activities to refugees who receive accommodation support to live independently.

In 2022, DRC Greece expanded its protection response in urban centres, working in direct collaboration with municipalities and a network of partners and allies. To support thousands of people who arrived in Greece after fleeing Ukraine, DRC launched a helpline service to provide timely and reliable information in a safe and transparent way.

In parallel, DRC continues to advocate for access to asylum, basic rights, and integration opportunities in Greece, and for a people-centered and protection-focused response in the EU as part of an ongoing search for integrated, sustainable solutions.