Municipality of Athens

ΚΕΜ functions as a local point of reference for the provision of specialized services – psychosocial support, legal counseling and information on social rights- to third country nationals (migrants and refugees) in order to improve living standards, access to labor market and social integration of the respective populations. Through KEM, beneficiaries are supported for the submission of applications for social benefits and are referred to specialised services provided as needed.

The social inclusion initiatives under KEM include: (a) Greek language courses and elements of Greek history and Greek culture for adults, preparing them for Greek language certification exams, (b) English language courses, and preparation for English language certification exams (A2), (c) Computer courses and preparation for the basic computer skills certification exams (d) Individual professional counseling sessions.

In addition, intercultural activities are organised, with emphasis on theatrical and other artistic activities aimed at children and youth of refugee origin, third country nationals and Greeks.

KEM is part of the Community Centres. The activities of KEM are implemented with the co-funding of the European Social Fund-National Strategic Reference Framework (NSRF) 2014-2020.

The Migrant and Refugee Integration Council (MRIC – ΣΕΜΠ) serves as a consultation body on migration and refugee issues and supports the integration of third-country nationals in the local community.

M.R.I.C.’s role involves the following responsibilities:

• Identification and examination of the integration issues and problems that refugees and migrants face in Athens.
• Collaboration with public authorities or municipality authorities.
• Submission of integration-related proposals to the Municipality Council.
• Resolution of problems that migrants face, especially using the counseling services offered in municipalities.
• Organization of events in collaboration with the municipality to help raise awareness and enhance social cohesion in local communities.

The Municipal Authority seeks to integrate the migrants and citizens of migrant origin, through the participatory process under the framework of MRIC. Also, through the MRIC, the aim is to strengthen the effective participation of migrants, as social partners, in the design, implementation and evaluation of social inclusion policies and the development of advisory structures.

Contact Details: [email protected]

The Athens Coordination Center for Migrant and Refugee issues (ACCMR) serves as a hub for coordination between the local government and civil society, international organizations and the central administration, in order to implement complementary interventions in the field of integration and to create a framework for a coordinated response in case of emergencies.

Know-how exchange, networking and cooperation as well as the development of common tools, are the main activity areas of ACCMR.

In this context, the Municipality of Athens in September 2020 signed a memorandum of cooperation with 39 key – civil society organizations.

*Since April 2020, the  International Organization for Migration and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees support ACCMR on the basis of a trilateral cooperation with the Municipality of Athens.

The Shelter was inaugurated in June 2013. It operates on a 24/7 basis, 365 days a year. Specialised staff (social worker, psychologist, pedagogue) provides safety and hospitality, food, socio-psychological support and care for women and their children.

The shelter aims to support, empower and reintegrate women into community life and the labour market. Guests are all women regardless of the age, religion or nationality, who have been victims of any form of violence: physical, psychological, sexual or economic. The accommodation offered in the shelter is temporary and transitional.

Legal counseling and assistance are provided through the social services of the City of Athens, Women’s Counseling Centers of the General Secretariat for Gender Equality or other public services, which facilitate access to employment, education, health and welfare services.

The Shelter is funded by the programme “Operation of Local Government Structures and Services in favour of Women and for Combating Violence – Development and Operation of Shelters” NSF (2014-2020).

The opening of the Centre for Combatting GBV and multiple discrimination of the Municipality of Athens, signals a new era for Social Solidarity services for the city. The centre welcomes all adults regardless of gender, which have been affected by violence (psychological, physical, sexual, including victims of social and financial oppression), as well as people on the receiving end of any sort of abuse in their family environment (domestic violence), and people which are victims of multiple discrimination (refugees, migrants, people with disabilities, the unemployed, single parents). 

The purpose of the Center for Reception and Solidarity of the Municipality of Athens (KYADA) is to address the problems of vulnerable populations affected by poverty and experiencing exclusion and social isolation. Through its structures, the Reception and Solidarity Center supports approximately 26,000 citizens each month.

The operation of KYADA started in 2005.

The services of KYADA currently include:

• Providing practical support to socially vulnerable groups in the city through the provision of food, housing, clothing, health care services, etc.
• Conducting research and studies and utilize conclusions.
• The development of new structures to meet as much as possible the needs of vulnerable social groups in the city.

In addition, KYADA:

• operates a municipal Soup Kitchen
• operates a shelter for homeless citizens , offering temporary accommodation, food, psychosocial support and basic healthcare services
• operates a social pharmacy, social grocery store and free laundry services for those in need, as well as a ‘Social Mall’. 

The Municipality of Athens with the Reception & Solidarity Center (KYADA), in collaboration with the Organization Against Drugs (OKANA) the Addiction Treatment Center (KETHEA), with the valuable help of the “Mission” of the Holy Archdiocese of Athens and with “Network of Peer Users of Psychoactive Substances”, “PRAKSIS”, “Doctors of the World”, the Association of Liver Patients “Prometheus” and the Association of HIV-positive people of Greece “Positive Voice”, created a new structure to provide people who are homeless and at the same time have problems with addiction and / or addiction to psychoactive substances, temporary housing.

As a primary healthcare provider, the Municipal Health Clinic network offers all citizens a range of basic healthcare and social welfare services, including:

• healthcare services which do not require hospital admission
• assessment of citizens’ health needs, planning, and implementation of measures for illness prevention and health promotion
• preventive dental care
• post-hospital care and rehabilitation
• monitoring of chronically ill patients
• prescription of medicines (for certain cases)
• issuing of personal health books for pupils
• issuing of medical certificates (for certain cases)

In the Municipality of Athens there are 6 Municipal Clinics, one of which is multifunctional.

The ENFEM project is implemented by ADDMA within the framework of the AMIF (Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund) European program, with the aim of integrating female third country nationals (TCNs). In particular, the project aims at exchanging practices at a European level, through a cross-sectoral network, and at the development of local strategies to facilitate the socio-economic integration of TCN women through employability and entrepreneurship. In addition, it seeks to provide opportunities for the creation and/or development of local networks (multi-stakeholder networks) following the EU action plan for integration 2021 – 2027.

The ENFEM project gathers up-to-date information on the current situation, at national, regional, and local level, through focus groups and literature research and creates a “Local Integration Strategy” (LIS), as well as training in the areas of language, cultural dimensions, labor rights and business skills. Both the created strategies and the training packages will take place in 11 European cities, including Athens and Thessaloniki. Finally, the collected results will act as a bridge between TCN women, local public and private stakeholders and organizations, and they will be accessible, enhancing active participation and contribution to women’s employability and entrepreneurship.

Female third-country nationals (TCNs) are one of the most vulnerable population groups in the EU countries, as a result of which they face a lot of discrimination and socio-economic exclusion. Athens, as a European capital where many female third-country nationals reside, can be an example of developing local strategies for inclusion through employability and entrepreneurship.

ENFEM implements an approach of creation and collaboration of a cross-sectoral network consisting of local authorities, market players, NGOs, organizations dealing with third-country nationals and organizations led by women. Such network, through a bottom-up approach, empowers its members, through knowledge transfer and good practices exchange to address integration challenges in alignment with the needs of local societies and their citizens. Through this multi-stakeholder cooperation, mutual understanding, respect, and encouragement of the exchange of knowledge, skills, and experiences both at national and European level are promoted, as suggested by the Urban Agenda Partnership.

The City  of Athens, through the Athens Development and Destination Management Agency (ADDMA), and in partnership with UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, in Greece, implements the project “Provision of targeted support and assistance to asylum seekers and beneficiaries of international protection with disabilities” aiming to facilitate the access and improve the support provided to asylum seekers and beneficiaries of international protection with disabilities during the process of their inclusion in the national social welfare system.

The Project´s target group consists of persons with disabilities (both minors and adults), who reside in the city of Athens, and have long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments, which in interaction with various factors or/and barriers may hinder their full and effective participation in society.

The main pillar of the project is the provision of support to beneficiaries for the completion of the disability certification process and the submission of an application for the disability allowance.

In particular, the services provided under the specific project include:

• Information provision on the rights of refugees with disabilities.
• Support in accessing the social welfare system and specialized services. Development of targeted case management and individualized action plans, provision of counselling and referrals to actors providing specialized services.
• Provision of interpretation and escort services on a case by case basis.
• Selected provision of assistive devices depending on individual needs and on a case by case basis.

The Project is implemented by ADDMA in close collaboration with the Migrants’ Integration Center (KEM) of the Municipality of Athens. The Social Service of the project proceeds with booking of appointments upon referrals. Please note that we cannot respond to self-referrals.

EATA, aiming at upgrading the quality of life of the city’s residents by utilizing all European financial and policy tools and in the context of the development dimension of the Integrated Spatial Investment of the Municipality of Athens, implements Sub-Project 1 “Athens Social Protection Network – Open Social Net ”of the Act “ Social Protection Network of Athens – Open Social Net ”with code OPS (MIS) 5074888 of the OP. “Attica 2014 – 2020”. The project is co-financed by the ESF.

The object of the project is the focus on the unified design of services with the aim of maximum efficiency and emphasis on social inclusion and employment. It concerns the creation of a strong network of solidarity and social protection in which all the competent Directorates, Structures and Legal Entities of the Municipality and third parties will functionally join. It is expected to be at the neighborhood level, the operational arm of operational interconnection, coordination, monitoring and evaluation of social inclusion policies, prevention of social exclusion, development of innovative employment actions as well as immediate intervention to deal with emergencies.

The project includes, inter alia, actions to fill the gap in access to information, prevention and full support to all stakeholders and beneficiaries of social protection services. The main tool of the project will be the design of a model of intervention actions, through which the following are specialized:

• prevention services (measures to prevent social exclusion, fight inequalities, prevent social addictions, etc.)
• specialized support services (training, legal and financial support, employment promotion, etc.)
• Intervention services – Street Work (interventions mainly in vertical social fields as they arise from the recording of needs in local communities) if deemed
• necessary for ad hoc needs (eg health crisis).
• other support services to the beneficiaries.

Current project actions:

Open Social Net – Right to Quality – Pilot Program for the distribution of solidarity food packages.