Providing Holistic Refugee Support in Heraklion
Municipality of Heraklion
Mayor
Alexis Kalokairinos
Start of Project
01/01/2024
End of Project
31/12/2024
Alisar Bakri, 8, on a swing at the garden of her home at Heraklion city in Crete. © UNHCR/Socrates Baltagiannis
Overview
The Municipality of Heraklion commits to intensifying its efforts to support refugees and asylum seekers in integrating into local society and pledges to work towards this direction via a series of inclusive and innovative policies/actions:
To be updated and further materialized from the beginning of 2024 and onwards, the Heraklion Local Plan of Integration for Migrants and Refugees, with a particular focus on ensuring livelihoods, employability, women’s empowerment, combating discrimination, and promoting gender equality of refugees and migrants. This Local Plan has been developed in consultation with local refugee and migrant communities.
In close collaboration with the Heraklion Development Agency, to explore available opportunities and apply to fund projects that will offer holistic support to local refugee communities.
Update of the local policy on homelessness, to facilitate the inclusion of refugees in all aspects of the local municipal homelessness schemes/services, and especially allow access of non-Greek speaking recognized refugees to the Heraklion Center for Homeless Persons.
To organize and lead a local coordination Working Group bringing together refugee and migrant communities, international organizations, public and private stakeholders, to design and produce durable solutions for refugees and asylum seekers, especially in the direction of integration and overall protection.
Priority Objectives
Providing access to urban infrastructure, social services, and education,
regardless of status
Realising socio-economic inclusion