Refugee relief

Donate for Greece

ADH/Fulvio Zanettini

92600

refugees and asylum seekers currently living in Greece

343

people died or went missing in the eastern Mediterranean in 2022

12000

people were left homeless in the Moria refugee camp fire

Refugee relief in Greece

Refugees in Greece: Every year, numerous refugees are stranded in refugee camps on the Greek islands, usually in appalling conditions. Here they wait for a decision in their asylum procedure, which can take months or years.

Help has strengthened refugee aid on Lesvos: we have supported legal counselling for those affected in order to promote the fair and rapid processing of asylum applications.

Alte Frau vor einem Zeltlager in Griechenland

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Help for refugees on Lesbos

Zwei Kinder im Flüchtlingscamp in Griechenland — The refugee camps in Greece are overcrowded. People urgently need help.

In cooperation with our long-standing partner organisation, we supported refugees on the island of Lesbos: In the Kara Tepe refugee camp, which was set up as a result of the fire in Moria, we supported the legal counselling of people by hiring translators. This enabled those affected to have their asylum applications processed more quickly and fairly and, thanks to the translation, we were able to clarify all legal issues.

The help provided by our partner organisation focused on particularly vulnerable people such as women, children, people with disabilities and the chronically ill. Together, we initiated new prospects for the people in the refugee camps.

Help had already done a lot for refugees in Greece before: Mosaico House, founded by Help, offered single women and their children a safe home while they were fleeing. They found basic care, protection and psychosocial counselling in the house in the heart of Athens.

+++ In April 2024, we had to discontinue our project activities in Greece due to a lack of funding opportunities. +++

Refugees in Greece: Forgotten by Europe

Kleiner Junge im Flüchtlingscamp in Griechenland — Many of the refugees on the Greek islands are children. They grow up in inhumane conditions.

After the coronavirus pandemic, the number of refugees arriving in Greece increased again: almost 19,000 new arrivals were registered in Greece in 2022. The majority of them fled across the Mediterranean from war and persecution in their home countries - in the hope of a life in safety.

The situation on the island of Lesbos is particularly dramatic: after the fire in the controversial Moria refugee camp in September 2020, 12,000 people were left homeless overnight. The living conditions in the newly built camps are just as bad: thousands of refugees are living in cramped conditions. There is a lack of everything, especially relief supplies, clean water and medical care.

Fear is a constant companion for most people on the run. They have experienced terrible things in their home country and are often traumatized. However, the Greek camps offer hardly any protection and many of the refugees feel abandoned. Asylum procedures usually drag on for months or years, with the last bit of hope for a better life fading away.

Eine humanitäre Helferin spricht mit einem jungen Geflüchteten in Griechenland

Sahir from Afghanistan came to Greece alone. Although he is a minor, he was wrongly registered as an adult by the local authorities. After the fire disaster in the Moria refugee camp on Lesbos, he lived on the streets without any protection, while other unaccompanied minors were taken to a safe place and received psychosocial support. Sahir's condition was very poor: he had experienced severe violence in the past and was now suffering from severe stress due to his situation. The psychologist from our partner organization diagnosed Sahir with severe mental disorders and referred the case for psychiatric care. Thanks to Help, Sahir is now able to cope with his traumas. Help also provided Sahir with relief supplies and legal support. The Greek team on the ground helped him to obtain his identity papers. He recently found out that his brother lives in another European country. As an unaccompanied minor, Sahir can now apply for family reunification.