Cities #WithRefugees: advancing local integration
Cities #WithRefugees: advancing local integration
Athens
UNHCR is one of the closest partners of the Municipality of Athens in the field of integration, while the cooperation of the two bodies was further strengthened through a Memorandum of Understanding signed in July 2022. UNHCR has been supporting the operation of the Municipality of Athens’ Centre for the Integration of Migrants (KEM), while since April 2020, UNHCR, together with the International Organization for Migration, have been supporting the operation of the Athens Coordination Centre for Migrants and Refugees (ACCMR) and the Cities Network for Integration (CNI).
ACCMR
The Athens Coordination Centre for Migrant and Refugee issues (ACCMR) is the first municipality– led coordination hub in Greece, on the basis of a trilateral cooperation between the City of Athens, UNHCR and IOM.
ACCMR facilitates exchange of information, good practices, and the development of partnerships between the City of Athens and civil society, international organizations and central government and enables effective integration policies.
See more HERE.
Cities Network for Integration
The Cities Network for Integration (CNI) is a forum that facilitates exchange of ideas and coordination of activities and interventions at local and national level, aimed at promoting social integration of refugees and migrants and strengthening social cohesion.
The CNI launched its operation in 2018, based on a memorandum of understanding between the municipalities of Athens and Thessaloniki, the two largest cities of Greece, and is supported by UNHCR and IOM on the basis of a trilateral cooperation with the City of Athens.
The Network currently consists of 18 Municipalities (Athens, Thessaloniki, Chania, Delta, Heraklion, Thessaloniki, Ioannina, Kalamaria, Karditsa, Katerini, Larissa, Livadeia, Neapoli–Sykies, Nea Filadelfeia / Nea Chalkidona, Piraeus, Tilos, Trikala, Tripoli and Agios Dimitrios)
See more HERE.
Disabilities Inclusive programme
In the context of its support to the operation of the Centre for the Integration of Migrants (KEM), UNHCR works with ADDMA, the development agency of the City of Athens, to support refugees with disabilities.
The Disabilities Inclusive programme that started operating in late 2021, has been assisting refugees and asylum-seekers to access specialized services including for rehabilitation, apply for the welfare disability allowance and receive assistive devices, such as wheelchairs.
See more HERE.
Preparatory Courses for citizenship
UNHCR supports the preparatory courses for the Naturalization Proficiency Certificate offered by the Municipality of Athens through KEM, in cooperation with the voluntary group “Gefyres”.
The courses help eligible refugees and migrants to sit the examination for citizenship, as well as to strengthen their understanding of the Greek language, history and geography, culture, customs and political institutions. In 2023, 35 people attended the courses.
Κathimerini newspaper on the programme HERE.
Heraklion
Operating in Heraklion, Crete, the "Refugee Assistance to Livelihoods and Employability (ReA)” project is a partnership between UNHCR and the Heraklion Development Agency, to support refugee livelihoods.
This initiative provides assistance to refugees and asylum-seekers to ensure they fully enjoy their rights, including information and support in covering formalities related to public or municipal services, medical issues and education. It also seeks to help them find employment opportunities and delivers specialized guidance to help them navigate and access the labour market.
See more HERE.
Ioannina
UNHCR’s cooperation with the City of Ioannina aims to provide support to refugees in Epirus region to access socioeconomic rights and livelihoods opportunities. The programme #Together is based on a tripartite collaboration between UNHCR, the Cultural Centre of the Municipality of Ioannina and the NGO INTERSOS Hellas.
The programme aims to help refugees set career objectives, match their interests and qualifications with professions, foster self-sufficiency and independence, identify vocational training opportunities, and facilitate their access to national social solidarity programmes and financial inclusion projects.
See more HERE.
"Including refugees in the communities where they have found safety is the most effective way to help them restart their lives and contribute to the countries hosting them.
In real terms, this means ensuring that refugees can apply for jobs, enroll in schools, and access services like housing and health care. It also means fostering a sense of belonging and welcome that gives hope to refugees uprooted from their homes."
Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, June 2023