The IRC in Greece
In 2015, the world watched as Greece became the primary gateway for hundreds of thousands of refugees fleeing conflict in Syria and beyond. It was within this pivotal moment that the IRC began operating in Greece.
For the past ten years in Greece, the IRC Hellas has stood as a dedicated partner to populations experiencing vulnerability, civil society and government bodies, helping people recover, rebuild and regain control of their lives.
Today, as IRC Hellas marks its 10th anniversary, the scale of its impact is evident in the numbers.
Over the last decade, the organisation has directly supported more than 125,000 individuals, including 31,000 children. Refugee.Info, a digital helpdesk and information hub, has attracted nearly 650,000 visitors seeking answers in a time of uncertainty.
Support has ranged from immediate emergency assistance and sanitation infrastructure in refugee facilities to comprehensive programmes designed for long-term integration and livelihood generation.
Moussa fled Ivory Coast and rebuilt his life in Athens through food and community work. After the tragic loss of his family and setbacks due to the covid pandemic, he launched a clothing brand inspired by African ethnic patterns. Moussa now leads the Ivorian community in Greece and advocates for refugee rights in the international arena.
Photo: Milos Bicanski for the IRC
10 years of hope through economic empowerment and mental health support
The core of IRC Hellas’ work rests on several strategic pillars that address the most critical needs of displaced communities.
In Economic Empowerment, more than 15,000 people have received financial assistance, business grants, and skills training in language and digital literacy, fostering self-reliance and connecting them with the private sector.
Recognising that trauma follows displacement, the Mental Health and Psychosocial Support programme has reached over 9,000 individuals through counselling and community activities that promote well-being.
Khrystyna and her children, Yaroslav and Anna, fled to Greece from Ukraine in March 2022. Khrystyna attended the CITI Foundation-funded IRC livelihood program, Craft Your Business (CYB), to build her yoga instructing business. The CYB program includes entrepreneurship skills training, business development coaching, opportunities to apply for start-up grants, and access to networks, financial resources, and microfinance opportunities.
Photo: Sumaya Agha for the IRC
Protecting everyone, including women and children
Child Protection is one of the IRC Hellas’ core priorities, with services provided to over 6,000 children and parents, including 2,156 unaccompanied minors who found safe accommodation and case management.
Simultaneously, the organisation has also worked to protect displaced and migrant women from violence, supporting more than 4,000 survivors of gender-based violence while implementing prevention programmes within communities.
Strengthening Greek Civil Society and pushing for a fairer future
Beyond direct service delivery, the IRC has strengthened the broader civil society ecosystem in Greece.
Through Capacity Building, the IRC has trained over 3,500 professionals working in public institutions and NGOs in Greece. IRC Hellas has collaborated with more than 68 organisations from civil society, academia, and the public sector, and has supported other Greek NGOs with more than €7.6 million to implement programmes.
Meanwhile, the IRC Hellas’ Advocacy efforts have also produced expert publications and policy recommendations, documenting the realities of refugee life and pushing for policies that address needs and challenges.
In 2022, workshops were organised under the Afghan Appeal project to bring together Farsi/Dari and Greek-speaking women and their children. The workshops were hosted at Arkista (art in a stable) and had Farsi/Dari storytelling by a refugee-led theatre initiative and Greek storytelling. The people participating were refugee woman from Iran and Afghanistan and their children who freely registered for these workshops.
Photo: Dimitra-Elfi Studio for the IRC
As IRC Hellas looks to the future, its ten-year legacy is clear: from navigating some of the most challenging chapters of modern refugee history since 2015, to the robust multi-faceted support system in place today, the IRC continues to be a vital force for human dignity in Greece.
