From support to opportunities: Technical Assistance project concludes, building pathways to inclusion for unaccompanied youth
From support to opportunities: Technical Assistance project concludes, building pathways to inclusion for unaccompanied youth
Athens, 5 October 2026
The event “From support to opportunities: Building pathways to inclusion for unaccompanied youth” was successfully held on 30 September, marking the completion of the Technical Assistance Project "Reforms on the Reception and Integration of Migrants, with a focus on Unaccompanied Young People." The event brought together representatives of the Greek authorities, the European Commission, international organizations, civil society organizations and frontline professionals to take stock of the project's results and discuss the next steps in supporting unaccompanied young people as they transition to adulthood.
The project was implemented in Greece by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, in cooperation with the General Secretariat for Vulnerable Persons and Institutional Protection of the Ministry of Migration and Asylum and the European Commission, with financial support from the European Union via the Technical Support Instrument (TSI). The project was designed to respond to the challenges faced by unaccompanied and formerly unaccompanied young people as they transition to adulthood, including barriers to accessing vocational education and training (VET), the lack of a systematic approach to skills assessment and recognition, and gaps in accessing mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS).
Welcoming participants to the event, the Deputy Minister of Migration and Asylum, Ms Sevi Voloudaki, stated:
"The contribution of the European Commission's Directorate-General for Structural Reform Support substantially strengthens the Ministry's institutional and administrative capacity in strategic planning, coordination and the use of evidence-based knowledge. Equally important is the contribution of UNHCR, through its international experience and specialized expertise. For us, however, the true meaning of sustainability lies in ensuring that knowledge remains within the Ministry, that partnerships continue to develop and that services continuously strengthen their capacities. The tools, expertise and networks created through this project constitute a valuable legacy for the future and can transform interventions into stable, actionable public policies with a broader impact on protection and social inclusion."
For his part, the Secretary General for Vulnerable Persons and Institutional Protection, Mr Heracles Moskoff, underlined: "The value of Technical Support is not limited to the duration of a project. Its impact is reflected in its ability to leave behind knowledge, tools and practices that can be utilized and integrated into the system over the long term. Our goal is for the recommendations and tools developed through this collaboration to serve as a solid foundation for future interventions and contribute to building a more coherent, effective and sustainable framework for supporting unaccompanied children and young adults."
Speaking on behalf of the European Commission's Reform and Investment Task Force (SG REFORM), Ms Evi Georgitsi, Team Leader for Communication, Campaigns and Outreach at the European Commission Representation in Greece, highlighted the importance of the Technical Support Instrument in supporting reforms that respond to real social needs and contribute to strengthening social cohesion and inclusion.
"Technical Support delivers real value when knowledge and expertise are transformed into stronger capacities for services to respond to people’s actual needs. For unaccompanied children and young adults, this means ensuring continuity of protection, so that the transition to adulthood does not become an abrupt dividing line, and that integration is closely linked to education, skills development, psychosocial support and employment. The true value of this project lies in the fact that its recommendations and tools were developed in partnership with the Greek authorities and can be applied in practice, allowing the knowledge generated through this collaboration to become a lasting asset for institutions and, ultimately, a tangible pathway to self-reliance and integration for young people."
From left: UNHCR Representative in Greece Laura Lo Castro, Deputy Minister of Migration and Asylum Sevi Voloudaki, and Secretary General for Vulnerable Persons and Institutional Protection Heracles Moskoff, at the closing event of the Technical Assistance Project supporting the inclusion of unaccompanied youth.
A roundtable discussion during the event “From support to opportunities: Building pathways to inclusion for unaccompanied youth”, on 30 September.
Evi Georgitsi, Team Leader for Communication, Campaigns and Outreach at the European Commission Representation in Greece and Secretary General Heracles Moskoff.
A panel discussion on the experience of the General Secretariat for Vulnerable Persons and Institutional Protection in mobilizing experts and engaging relevant stakeholders in the Technical Assistance Project.
Τhe Technical Assistance project was designed to respond to the challenges faced by unaccompanied and formerly unaccompanied young people as they transition to adulthood.
Representatives of the Greek authorities, the European Commission, international organizations and civil society, together with frontline professionals, attend the closing event of the Technical Assistance Project supporting the inclusion of unaccompanied youth, on 30 September.
Members of the UNHCR and General Secretariat for Vulnerable Persons and Institutional Protection teams that implemented the Technical Assistance Project in Greece, at the close of the event marking the project’s completion.
During the event, the key results achieved during the eighteen months of project implementation were presented. These were structured around three main pillars: the legal and institutional framework, vocational education and training, and mental health and psychosocial support.
Within the first pillar, recommendations were developed for adapting the national implementing legislation framework to the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum in relation to protection issues affecting unaccompanied children. The other two pillars focused on developing practical and implementable tools to strengthen young people's integration and well-being.
Through extensive consultations with public authorities, experts, frontline professionals, employers and other stakeholders, guidance documents, proposed intervention models and action plans were developed to support young people's access to training, employment and mental health services, with particular emphasis on referral pathways, interagency cooperation and continuity of care.
The Representative of UNHCR in Greece, Ms Laura Lo Castro, emphasized the importance of moving from planning to implementation: "Today, we are placing practical tools in the hands of those who can turn them into meaningful change. The next step is their implementation in practice. We see the completion of the project not as the end of a process, but as the beginning of putting its recommendations into action."
The discussions held during the event also highlighted the importance of cooperation between public authorities, the private sector, represented at the event by FAMAR, Foundever and Malamatina, and civil society organizations in facilitating unaccompanied young people's access to the labour market and creating sustainable opportunities.
The completion of the project marks an important milestone in further strengthening the protection and integration framework for unaccompanied youth in Greece. At the same time, it signals the beginning of the next phase, during which the recommendations, tools and proposals developed through the project can be utilized either as a comprehensive framework or as the basis for individual initiatives, with the aim of supporting a more coherent and sustainable support system that strengthens young people's independence and prospects as they move into adult life.
