Afghan Community – Migrants & Refugees – Greece took part in a meeting between several associations and NGOs working with refugees and migrants in Athens.
The goal was simple: to get to know each other better, share information from the field, and build joint initiatives to support Afghan families.
Why was this meeting important?
Each organization sees only part of the reality: access to housing, legal procedures, health, school, language, integration…
By bringing everyone around the same table, we were able to:
- share the difficulties observed in the field,
- identify the “gaps” in the families’ journey (for example after the asylum application or when leaving the camps),
- clarify who does what, to avoid people being sent from one service to another with no solution,
This meeting helps create a clearer and more effective network in the service of refugees.
Topics discussed during the meeting
During the meeting, several concrete topics were discussed:
- Housing & accommodation emergency shelters, rent support programmes, temporary solutions.
- Health & psychological support access to free clinics, support for people who have experienced trauma.
- Education & languages Greek language courses, school support for children, community workshops.
- Rights & procedures asylum procedure, residence permit renewal, legal orientation.
- Cultural life & participation intercultural events, activities for young people, artistic workshops.
Each organisation presented its services and its limits, so that families can be guided in a fairer and faster way.
What this changes for Afghan families
For Afghan families who are refugees in Greece, this kind of meeting has a direct impact:
- fewer unnecessary referrals from one organisation to another
- better circulation of information between associations
- faster responses in urgent situations (housing, health, child protection)
- more opportunities to take part in educational, language or cultural activities
Our role is also to report back on the reality in the field and the specific needs of the Afghan community.
Some useful organisations
If you need support, these organisations can also provide information (content in English or Greek):
- UNHCR Help Greece Information about rights, asylum and available services in Greece:
UNHCR Help Greece - SolidarityNow Support centres in Athens and Thessaloniki (social services, health, legal support):
SolidarityNow - Caritas Hellas Social support, guidance and integration activities:
Caritas Hellas
Afghan Community will continue to take part in this kind of meeting to strengthen cooperation between organisations and improve support for Afghan people living in Greece.
