DRC present since:
2015
Staff on location:
300
Displaced population:
120,000
More than a million people fleeing violence in the Middle East, South and Central Asia crossed Greece in 2015 trying to reach Europe, sparking a crisis as countries struggled to cope with the influx and creating division in the EU. As a result, borders within the EU and the Balkans were closed to quell the upward movement of people, and the EU – Turkey Statement of March 2016 fundamentally altered the function of the hotspots.
Since then, the Greek hotspot approach seeks to contain new arrivals to the islands, restricting access to mainland Europe. It also effectively leads to a two-track system with significant differences in context between the islands and mainland.
DRC began operations in Greece in November 2015, contributing to the emergency humanitarian response at the Moria transit site on the island of Lesvos, and expanded operations to the mainland in 2016.
With offices in Athens, Thessaloniki, Larissa and until January 2020 on Lesvos island, DRC is one of the key humanitarian actors operating in the country. Today, Greece struggles to ensure that reception and accommodation facilities are dignified, well staffed, culturally appropriate, and respectful of humanitarian standards. Migrants are also in need of timely information, legal aid, and integration opportunities. As such, DRC works to close these gaps, employing evidence-based methods in responding to emergencies when needed, and supporting the Greek authorities in developing a sustainable refugee reception and integration system.
DRC works at nine sites on the Greek mainland providing site management services, along with food, water and sanitation, protection, legal aid, and non-formal education. In urban settings, DRC supports migrants with cultural mediation and integration courses that include language and soft skills.
In cooperation with IOM Greece, DRC runs the following joint projects:
In cooperation with Progetto Tenda Torino, LABC, CWEP Poland and Nesta Italia, DRC runs the following joint project:
Ανοιχτή επιστολή για την πρόσβαση των παιδιών προσφύγων στην εκπαίδευση / Open letter on refugee children's access to education
March 2021
289.2 kb
H DRC Greece μαζί με 32 οργανώσεις εκφράζουμε βαθιά ανησυχία για την κατάσταση που επικρατεί στην Ελλάδα που επικρατεί τα τελευταία χρόνια σχετικά με την πρόσβαση και τη συμπερίληψη παιδιών αιτούντων άσυλο και προσφύγων στην εκπαίδευση. / DRC Greece along with 32 organisations express deep concern about the situation relating to asylum seeking and refugee children’s access to education in Greece over the past few years.
The Workings of the Screening Regulation
January 2021
365.6 kb
DRC and 7 other Greece-based NGOs worked on a comparative analysis that focusses on the proposed Screening Regulation and the Greek reception and identification procedure applied on the islands and the Evros land border.
Joint NGO letter (Greek)
October 2020
663.8 kb
Θέμα: Ανοιχτή επιστολή προς τους Έλληνες Βουλευτές για διερεύνηση των αυθαιρεσιών στα σύνορα
Joint NGO letter
October 2020
526 kb
Open Letter to Members of the Hellenic Parliament Calling for an Investigation into Border Abuses
Greece annual report 2019_ΕΤΗΣΙΑ ΕΚΘΕΣΗ ΠΕΠΡΑΓΜΕΝΩΝ_2019
Greece annual report 2019_ΕΤΗΣΙΑ ΕΚΘΕΣΗ ΠΕΠΡΑΓΜΕΝΩΝ_2019
March 2021
4.5 mb
Greece financial state_DRC ΧΡΗΜ ΚΑΤ 2019
Greece financial state_DRC ΧΡΗΜ ΚΑΤ 2019
March 2021
476.4 kb
Greece annual report 2018_ΕΤΗΣΙΑ ΕΚΘΕΣΗ ΠΕΠΡΑΓΜΕΝΩΝ_2018_ΕΛΛ_ΑΓΓΛΙΚΑ
Greece annual report 2018_ΕΤΗΣΙΑ ΕΚΘΕΣΗ ΠΕΠΡΑΓΜΕΝΩΝ_2018_ΕΛΛ_ΑΓΓΛΙΚΑ
March 2021
1.8 mb
Greece financial state_DRC ΧΡΗΜ ΚΑΤ 2018
Greece financial state_DRC ΧΡΗΜ ΚΑΤ 2018
March 2021
455.6 kb
Greece statute_ΑΝΑΚΟΙΝΩΣΗ_ΑΜΚΕ_DRC GREECE
Greece statute_ΑΝΑΚΟΙΝΩΣΗ_ΑΜΚΕ_DRC GREECE
August 2020
644.6 kb
5 organisations in Europe join forces to combat online trafficking of women
December 2020
196.2 kb
5 οργανώσεις στην Ευρώπη ενώνουν δυνάμεις για την καταπολέμηση της εμπορίας γυναικών στο διαδίκτυο
December 2020
238.7 kb
MORIA FIRES: European Governments must urgently relocate displaced individuals from Greece
September 2020
128.3 kb
Urgent Call to Action from Civil Society Organisations across Europe
Joint NGO press release
October 2020
153.8 kb
Greece: Investigate Pushbacks, Violence at Borders
Joint NGO press release (Greek)
October 2020
202.1 kb
Ελλάδα: Ερευνήστε τις επαναπροωθήσεις και τη βία στα σύνορα
Κοινό ΔT: Aστεγία και στέρηση για χιλιάδες πρόσφυγες / Joint PR: Risk of homelessness and destitution for thousands refugees
December 2020
174.9 kb
Το Δανικό Συμβούλιο για τους Πρόσφυγες μαζί 72 ακόμη οργανώσεις τονίζουν τον κίνδυνο αστεγίας και στέρησης για χιλιάδες πρόσφυγες αυτόν τον χειμώνα / DRC and 72 organisations stress that thousands of refugees in Greece still face homelessness and destitution
Zahra Foroughi arrived in Greece three years ago and joined the DRC English courses when she moved in Koutsochero hosting site. DRC has been offering non formal education courses for refugee adults in nine mainland camps in 2020. After hard work and with her teacher’s support, she passed her first exam. This means she can understand matters encountered in work, school, or leisure. She can also deal with most situations likely to arise whilst travelling and she is able to describe her experiences, ambitions, and dreams. Zahra continues to study English and wants to be an architect. She thinks women should not be afraid to dream big. “I believe women should persist, be better informed and learn different languages,” she says.
Zahra Foroughi arrived in Greece three years ago and joined the DRC English courses when she moved in Koutsochero hosting site. DRC has been offering non formal education courses for refugee adults in nine mainland camps in 2020. After hard work and with her teacher’s support, she passed her first exam. This means she can understand matters encountered in work, school, or leisure. She can also deal with most situations likely to arise whilst travelling and she is able to describe her experiences, ambitions, and dreams. Zahra continues to study English and wants to be an architect. She thinks women should not be afraid to dream big. “I believe women should persist, be better informed and learn different languages,” she says.
Greece is home to large numbers of refugees from countries such as Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan. On a mandate from the Greek authorities, the Danish Refugee Council runs a number of camps where we provide everything from food, shelter and sanitation to local democracy, counselling and education. Pictured above, one of our staff performs creative activities with some of the children in the Schisto camp.
Greece is home to large numbers of refugees from countries such as Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan. On a mandate from the Greek authorities, the Danish Refugee Council runs a number of camps where we provide everything from food, shelter and sanitation to local democracy, counselling and education. Pictured above, one of our staff performs creative activities with some of the children in the Schisto camp.
DG HOME
Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund of the European Union
IOM
International Organization for Migration
DG ECHO
Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations
REC
Rights, Equality and Citizenship Programme
TDH Hellas
Terre des Hommes Hellas
Projetto Tenta
Nesta Italia