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Description
The project will improve the social care towards asylum seekers, the effective management of unaccompanied minors living in precarious conditions and the establishment of standard operating procedures of social care for unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups. The project will enhance SSPUAM’s capacity to follow up their extended responsibility following new legislation in 2020 regarding the protection of unaccompanied minors and may be implemented in cooperation with Civil Society Organisations (e.g. NGOs) providing services to SSPUAM.
The Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) will support the project by providing experiences and expertise. Furthermore, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) will also support the project.
The project will include the following main activities:
- Development of an evaluation and monitoring system of open centres for the protection of unaccompanied minors and other vulnerable groups, that will include, inter alia, an interactive electronic platform of evaluation, standard operating procedures, manuals and guides for the evaluation process, manuals and guides for the accommodation structures, questionnaires and proposals for the standardization of the shelters’ quality criteria and capacity building activities to both professionals of the accommodation centres and the personnel of SSPUAM.
- Continuation of the operation of the National Emergency Response Mechanism (NERM) for the protection of unaccompanied minors in distress which consists of a hotline available in several languages, information points and mobile units. The coordination of the NERM will be transferred from UNHCR to SSPUAM.
- Continuation of the Accompaniment Support Mechanism for unaccompanied minors living in precarious conditions, as well as for their interaction with public administration services.
Summary of project results
The migratory crisis that Greece faced in 2015 onwards had as a result significant challenges for the national asylum and migration management systems. The most vulnerable part of the migrant population (unaccompanied asylum-seeking minors) arrived in Greece without having a family member of even a type of supportive network that could assist them to apply for asylum and address their emergency needs. The living, physical and psychological condition of the majority of minors was very poor as they have been probably victims of trafficking, tortures and abuse. On top of that, the long journey from their country of origins up to the Greek land and sea boarders has deteriorated their already poor condition and has added more traumas in their psychology. After their arrival in Greece, many of these children were accommodated in abandoned buildings with poor living conditions, limited access to food and health services. Due to the economic crisis, Greece has faced this challenge having very limited financial resources that were not enough to address an issue of this scale.
In order to cover these needs of unaccompanied asylum-seeking minors, the project aimed to address the above-mentioned poor conditions by setting up a security network that will protect them from living in precarious conditions. The establishment of NERM included the operation of a detection mechanism of unaccompanied minors that will inform unaccompanied asylum-seeking minors about their rights and would encourage them to be accommodated in Accommodation Facilities where they could receive assistance to address their problems and needs.
In the context of Pre-defined Project 8 the following activities were implemented:
– Monitoring and assessment of the provided services towards unaccompanied minors in the accommodation facilities.
During the implementation of the activity 4 social workers and 1 project manager were employed for 13 months and travel expenses for 15 monitoring missions were covered. Moreover, 82 inspection reports were produced concerning the accommodation facilities for unaccompanied asylum-seeking minors located across the country. Additionally, expenses concerning the interpretation of information material, training and information activities were covered throughout the project as well as the production of training and information material.
- Partnership with UDI
This activity included 4 study visits to the premises of UDI and 4 study visits in various premises of MoMA in Greece. The thematic of study visits was the knowledge transfer from UDI to MoMA for the development of a system of monitoring and evaluation for the long-term accommodation facilities for unaccompanied minors. The subject of the visits included the presentation of Reception and Accommodation systems for unaccompanied minors in Norway and Greece, the presentation of the scope of work of UDI and GSVPIP, the process of control tools, the methodology implemented for the in the spot controls, the production of SOPs for controls, the common visits in accommodation facilities for unaccompanied minors in Norway and Greece, on the job training in executing common controls performed by UDI and GSVPIP staff in both countries, progress presentations from the side of GSVPIP and risk assessment exercises for prioritizing controls in accommodation facilities for unaccompanied minors.
- Skills development and training of staff of long-term accommodation facilities for unaccompanied minors.
In the context of this activity, 479 professionals working in long-term accommodation facilities for unaccompanied minors completed the training. The thematic of the trainings included crisis management, treatment of burnout for the staff, team building, awareness of dependencies and their effects, management of violence/self-harm, support for minors in matters of gender identity and sexuality - support for children who have suffered sexual and gender-based violence, psychosocial effects and supportive interventions in situations of loss, trauma and bereavement, management of acute crisis situations (psychiatric, physical and mental health first aid), skills to support the transition to adulthood (job counselling/guidance/legal employment, skills enhancement), sexual abuse - human trafficking etc.
– Transfer and maintenance of Helidon System for the evaluation of long-term accommodation facilities for unaccompanied minors.
Helidon system was transferred from ΕΚΚΑ (National Center for Social Solidarity) to MoMA and a new technical support contact was signed in order the system to operate smoothly under GSVPIP.
– Procurement of equipment for the needs of GSVPIP
This activity includes procurement of office and electronic equipment for the needs of GSVPIP.
- Operation of National Emergency Response Mechanism (NERM)
During the implementation of this activity, the NGO Network of Children’s Rights (NCR) operated one info-desk and two mobile units covering the operation of National Emergency Response Mechanism (NERM) in the region of Attica. Moreover, the NGO Arsis operated one info-desk and one mobile unit covering the operation of NERM in the region of Central Macedonia. For a period of time, one more info desk operated in the land borders between Greece and Bulgaria for addressing possible cases of unaccompanied children originating from Ukraine. In total 3,896 unaccompanied asylum-seeking minors received improved social support service, overcoming the target of 1,000 unaccompanied asylum-seeking minors.
- Accompaniment support
The NGO Metadrasi (with which the Ministry has signed a Programmatic Agreement) escorted 4,148 unaccompanied asylum-seeking minors to and between long term accommodation facilities across Greece overcoming the initial target of 1,720.
– Provision of tele-interpretation services for the telephone line of NERM.
During the implementation of the activity, the NGO Metadrasi provided 7:48 hours of tele-interpretation services for the telephone line of NERM in 7 languages.
Overall, the operation of the programme contributed to placing 2,907 unaccompanied asylum-seeking minors in accommodation centers across the country reducing the risks of trafficking exposure and improving significantly the living conditions of unaccompanied asylum-seeking minors. Moreover, throughout the duration of the project, 3,896 received improved social support services and 4,148 minors were safely escorted towards Accommodation Facilities (UMC escorted from RIC/CCAC to mainland and UMC escorted between specific points in the mainland).
The success of the project is that secured better living conditions (placement to accommodation facilities, snack provision, access to health and psychological services) for a large number of unaccompanied asylum-seeking minors in Greece that otherwise would possibly live in precarious conditions and they would be vulnerable to all kinds of exploitation. Moreover, the project helped in the prevention of possible radicalization of unaccompanied asylum-seeking minors and reduced human smuggling among the European countries.
Finally, the operation of GSVIP was enhanced through the employment of staff that conducted monitoring visits to accommodation centers, the preparation of SOPs for evaluation of accommodation structures and the acquirement of the necessary equipment.
Overall, we can argue that the core of Pre-defined Project 8 was completed successfully and assisted in the continuation of the operation of NERM and accompaniment services, their establishment was good practices in a global level and at the same time has strengthen the capacity of GSVIP to gradually expand to protection of vulnerable persons.
Summary of bilateral results
It is a fact that General Secretariat of Vulnerable Persons and Institutional Protection (GSVPIP) together with UDI achieved shared results for better migration strategies and improved knowledge and mutual understanding in the field of unaccompanied migrant children. The Donor Partner Project was involved in the project by attending events in our project (e.g. closing event in Athens), contributed with presentations and input to spot controls, enhanced capacity building in our project (in the form of trainings and knowledge transfer) and worked with the employees of GSVPIP in finding common solutions to shared challenges in the field.After the project was completed, the cooperation with the UDI continues through the implementation of new bilateral actions that will enhance of operation of GSVIPIP (e.g. project Fortify) and other projects that will add to the preparedness level of GSVPIP for the next financial period of EEA Grants.