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Description
The project addresses the lack of adequate accommodation places and services for Unaccompanied Minors (UAMs) and Vulnerable Asyum Seekers and their children in Greece, by establishing 77 accommodation places in Northern Greece. Within its 20 months of operation, the project envisions three target groups, responding to three challenges, that will improve the efficiency of the current child and vulnerable asylum seekers support system, namely: a) Accommodating UAMs residing in Safe Zones to be hosted in apartments, aiming at the de-bottlenecking of the Safe Zones facilities through the creation of available places. The project foresees approximately 12 apartments close to the safe zones of Lagadikia, Diavata, Agia Eleni, Drama, and Kavala, which will in total provide 46 accommodation places. b) Accommodating UAMs aged 12 to 18 (boys up to 12 and girls up to 18) to be hosted in a shelter and apartments, aiming at establishing the relevant accommodation places. In Northern Greece, there is a specific lack of shelters that can host these specific groups. The project presents the introduce 15 places for UAMs in the Shelter for Children in danger The House of ARSIS in Thessaloniki. Currently, there is only one Shelter in North Greece that accepts girls and boys of these ages, leading to their stay for longer in unsuitable conditions. c) Accommodating vulnerable asylum seekers (women victims of violence and/or at the later stages of pregnancy and/or
health issues), and their children, aiming at improving the overall protection system for vulnerable asylum seekers, by providing 16 accommodation places for vulnerable vulnerable asylum seekers
Summary of project results
The project addressed the lack of adequate accommodation places and services for Unaccompanied Minors and Vulnerable Asyum Seekers and their children in Greece, by establishing 79 accommodation places in Northern Greece.
Within its operation, the project envisioned three target groups:
a) Accommodating UAMs residing in Safe Zones were hosted in apartments, aiming at the de-bottlenecking of the Safe Zones´facilities through the creation of available places.
The project foreseed approximately 12 apartments close to the safe zones of Lagadikia, Diavata, Agia Eleni, Drama, and Kavala, which provided 46 accommodation places. This way the project facilitated the transfer of UAMs from the Safe Zones to the apartments, increasing the mobility of UAMs in them, and reducing the time they spend there. The main purpose was to re-establish the safe zones into short-term accommodation facilities in order to accept more cases from protective custody, limiting the use of this unacceptable measure of child protection.
b) Accommodating UAMs aged 12 to 18 (boys up to 12 and girls up to 18) who were hosted in a shelter and apartments, aiming at establishing the relevant accommodation places.
In Northern Greece, there was a specific lack of shelters that could host these specific groups. The project presented the introduction of 15 places for UAMs in the Shelter for Children in danger at The House of ARSIS in Thessaloniki.
c) Accommodating vulnerable asylum seekers (women victims of violence and/or at the later stages of pregnancy and/or health issues), and their children, aiming at improving the overall protection system for vulnerable asylum seekers, by providing 16 accommodation places for vulnerable asylum seekers (women victims of violence and/or at the later stages of pregnancy and/or health issues), and their children.
The project covered a) proper accommodation of vulnerable asylum seekers, and b) tailored services to all individuals depending on their needs in order to successfully facilitate and ease their integration
process. No matter the geographical location of the services, the project followed the same holistic approach in all cases, starting from accommodation and also offering bespoke services tailored to every individuals needs. The services branch includes, inter alia: psycho-social support, food and NFIs, sanitation and hygiene services, interpretation services, educational support, recreational or ocational activities, legal aid
The House of ARSIS has been adequately staffed. The women''s apartments have been operating smoothly and in full capacity. The services have been provided non-stop despite the difficulties faced due to Covid-19 pandemic restrictions. The SIL apartments for the UAMs have become the most challenging project of the program since its beginning due to delays and problems that came up along their way to establishing. Τhe team had to overcome the housing issue and the house owners'' reluctance in the cities of Drama, Kavala and Thessaloniki and then the delay caused by EKKA''s transition to the Special Secretariat. Τhe SIL apartments in Drama & Kavala had been rent and in January started the preparation of them, in order to welcome the UAMs. Two apartments were rent in Drama city, in the same block of flats and two apartments in Kavala, in different buildings. All the apartments are in the center of the cities and they have access to Services, like school, market, hospital. The launch event of the Project took place on April, 22. Representatives from Public Actors, other NGOs and International Organizations took part in it. The response to the public was huge. The three local events took place also in Ioannina, Thessaloniki & Drama. It is remarkable that from October, 2021, the shelter House of ARSIS is run by AMIF, as this was the main goal since the beginning of the project. Moreover, almost all of the cases in the apartments for Vulnerable Women have been referred to ESTIA 2021 Project, in order for the program to have the rotation of the population. However, the most noteworthy is that the project completed its implementation on February 2022 - about the cases- and on March- about the financial and administrative issues. The apartments for Vulnerable Women continue their action, funded by the german organization German Doctors e.V. Nevertheless concerning the total capacity of accommodation, only the two apartments are available and in total 8 places. On the other hand, the SIL apartments in Kavala, Drama, Thessaloniki and Ioannina stopped their action as the Special Secretariat did not accept the continuation of them. The reason was that there is no need for more places as the number of the UAMs, in the last long period, is very low. The partner made a lot of effords in order to extend the existing program ("Gate") with the apartments of DIAPLOUS. Unfortunately, even there was a huge pressure to the Ministry, the answer kept being negative.
The average occupancy during 2021 reached 70% through a total of 79 places that became available, for both UAMs and vulnerable women with their children during the implementation period. Low occupancy in SIL apartments was the main reason for not reaching the target on occupancy.
In addition, the low overall rotation resulting poor progress towards outcome indicators (a total of 138 beneficiaries vs 203 agreed).
The Project under Outcome 1 “Improved quality of accommodation and other services provided provided quality accommodation to UAM’s & vulnerable asylum seekers (women victims of violence and/or at the later stages of pregnancy and/or health issues), with their children and high-quality services that comply with the EU Directives’ minimum standards for the reception of vulnerable asylum seekers, especially unaccompanied minors (UAMs).
Started implementing DIAPLOUS Project in June 2020 (The House of Arsis), in August (Vulnerable Women Apartments) and in September (SIL apartments). From the beginning of the Project steady steps have been made. The House of ARSIS has been adequately staffed and, although not in full capacity, in full operation. The women''s apartments have been operating smoothly and in full capacity. The services have been provided non-stop despite the difficulties faced due to Covid-19 pandemic restrictions.
Representatives from Public Actors, other NGOs and International Organizations took part in it. The response to the public was huge. The three local events took place also in Ioannina, Thessaloniki & Drama. It is remarkable that from October, 2021, the shelter House of ARSIS is run by AMIF, as this was the main goal since the beginning of the project. Moreover, almost all of the cases in the apartments for Vulnerable Women have been referred to ESTIA 2021 Project, in order for the program to have the rotation of the population.
The apartments for Vulnerable Women continue their action, funded by the german organization German Doctors e.V. Nevertheless concerning the total capacity of accommodation, only the two apartments are available and in total 8 places. On the other hand, the SIL apartments in Kavala, Drama, Thessaloniki and Ioannina stopped their action as the Special Secretariat did not accept the continuation of them. The reason was that there is no need for more places as the number of the UAMs, in the last long period, is very low.