Διαβάστε το newsletter Φεβρουαρίου - Μαρτίου 2023 του Ελληνικού Συμβουλίου για τους Πρόσφυγες εδώ

Read the October - November 2022 newsletter of the Greek Council for Refugees here

Διαβάστε το newsletter Ιανουαρίου - Μαρτίου 2022 του Ελληνικού Συμβουλίου για τους Πρόσφυγες εδώ

Read the December 2021 newsletter of the Greek Council for Refugees here

Read the October - November 2021 newsletter of the Greek Council for Refugees here

Read the August 2021 newsletter of the Greek Council for Refugees here

Read the June 2021 newsletter of the Greek Council for Refugees here

Op-Ed text June Newsletter

Who is a refugee and what is the difference between a refugee and a migrant? Why do these people leave their countries? Why should Greece and Europe welcome them, take care of them and give them the option to stay? Why do they come irregularly? Should we not as a country guard our borders better and sanction/deter their irregular entry? Is it not safer for them to stay in Turkey, instead of being exploited by the smuggling networks and putting their life in danger? These are some of the usual questions we hear in private discussions and in public debate.

Read the April 2021 newsletter of the Greek Council for Refugees here

Recognized Refugees: the longed-for moment of recognition, the beginning of a rough road ahead

One would expect that the recognition of a refugee, be they a woman or a man, is a moment of vindication for all the fights they have fought for their inclusion into Greek society.  This is when, in theory, they are receiving the same rights as Greek citizens regarding their access to the labor market, social welfare and medical care. But this institutional equality is in fact unequal due to the lack of care and support, the fewer opportunities provided when compared to the ones available to Greek citizens as well as social prejudices. Based on inclusion examples observed abroad, a successful model is determined by the immediate start of language courses, the support of refugees for finding a job through educational and vocational training, initiatives for helping them familiarize with the new “reality” and encouraging relations with the local population.