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Youth Work for Solidarity and Diversity

2021-2-DE04-KA153-YOU-0000385172021Mobility of youth workersfinalized
Countries: DE|TR|EL|ES|FR|HR|CY|RO · Grant: €28,906
Reception and integration of refugees and migrantsEuropean identity and values

Objectives

In recent years, the major issue in Europe and all over the world was illegal migration, and the aim was to prevent this. Besides tolerance shown to refugees and the economic and social rights given to them, it caused an increase in their numbers and immigration for economic purposes by using this route. Despite the historical process, although the law of common immigrant policy in the European Union came into operation since June 2015, there were still significant differences in the immigration policies of European Union countries. While these differences revealed different practices and solution focuses, the functional aspect of this focus was disputable. Regarding the presidency in the European Union where one of our priorities was sustainable migration and asylum policies, we considered it an important aim to deal with the issue of refugees and provide an international overview to our participants. The young people’s knowledge about the refugee problem in European countries was limited. Being obliged to live isolated from society and having problems in integration revealed this lack of communication. We implemented a project to help young people understand the European Union policies about refugees, to know the regulations in the country, and also to provide an environment to develop themselves. Refugees and asylum seekers didn’t benefit from fundamental human rights on time and accurately. Not knowing which services the refugees could benefit from by the public and local administration was the reason for this. Also, the people working in state institutions and organizations didn’t have enough information about which procedures should be performed for refugees, so this caused confusion. It could be said that there were perception differences and a lack of information. As long as refugees and asylum seekers lived together with society, they had trouble integrating with society. The reason was that the society’s awareness level was not enough, and there were various prejudices and false pieces of information. Also, cultural differences played a big role too. We included various activities in our project to overcome this conceptual chaos, to make people conscious in terms of involving refugees and asylum seekers in society. We regretfully witness that there are big prejudices against refugees in Greece and Europe, and racist attitudes were increasing. We formed our project to make the European people declare their thoughts about how we could overcome this refugee problem and to be volunteers for world peace by addressing these problems' reasons. At the same time, we gained discussion opportunities in the functionality of mentioned policies and precautions thanks to our project. The Training Course "Youth Work for Solidarity and Diversity" took place in Ioannina, Greece from September 27th to October 2nd, 2023. The training course was entirely implemented inside a structure for accompanied minor refugees as ICSD operated that center hosting 38 young minor refugees, as well as operating an Asylum information center in the city of Ioannina. Participants didn’t only had a training where they gained valuable knoweldge but they had all workshops inside the structures with ICSD’s experienced staff while they experienced in first-hand the mountain challenges refugees face for taking Asylum, Education, daily life and most of all a better future. At the same time we were able to show them that EU refugee and border policies, applications such as agreements and shelters inside real ones. Participants understood the policies of refugees better both in their country and all across European Union and they had a chance of observing another country’s practices. Participants empathized while developing their social and cognitive skills, practicing in foreign languages, and got rid of any of their prejudices against different cultures so they can now start studies about refugees in the organizations that they volunteer or work. While we created a more sensitive European Union youth about the refugee and immigrant policies which have been improved in the long term, these young people also contributed to peace of world by knowing closely the immigrant’s and refugee’s problems.

Project partners (8)