Refugee Rights Greece Project #55680

Emergency Relief for Displaced Families in Athens

by Lighthouse Relief

Summary

Approximately 100,000 refugees and asylum seekers in Greece struggle to access housing, medical care, and food. Greece has drastically reduced its support for people seeking refuge, leaving most people without the resources to rebuild their lives and meet their immediate needs. We provide dignified relief to these individuals and families, filling vital gaps in support for basic needs and helping them acclimatize to new surroundings, and build secure futures.

$150,000
total goal

$107,089
remaining

207
donors

12
monthly donors

4
fundraisers

12
months

Challenge

Refugees and asylum seekers face legal limbo for months or even years while trying to navigate the increasingly hostile asylum process. During this time, they are neither allowed to work nor receive support and all the while face detention and/or deportation for not having proper documentation if they get caught by police during round-ups. Recognized refugees meanwhile face discrimination in the housing and labor markets and have little support for learning the language and integrating.

Solution

We support people to meet their basic needs and build more secure futures. This includes distributing food, baby supplies, dignity kits, sleeping bags, sim cards, and other necessities to hundreds of families every month. We also run emergency multilingual helplines and offer consultations with social workers who help to navigate asylum procedures, medical & public service appointments, find safe housing & access legal aid. So far more than 6500+ people have come to us for assistance.

Long-Term Impact

The project provides a lifeline to individuals and families without access to public services or the job market while their asylum claims are pending. Even recognized refugees only have 30 days (down from 6 months) to secure a job and find housing before losing support. Our outreach to people on the streets connects some of the most vulnerable to services that prevent them from falling through the cracks and empowers them to gain the confidence, skills, and knowledge needed to build a new life.