Context
Since late 2021, IRC Italy has been active in the city of Trieste, located on the border between Italy and Slovenia, with a continuous humanitarian assistance intervention for people arriving along the Balkan route. A mobile unit composed of multilingual staff engages daily—including weekends—with dozens of people who have just arrived in the city and are in need, mainly in the area around the Central Station and the day center on Via Udine.
The mobile unit provides socio-legal orientation, information on rights and responsibilities, and support in accessing basic services, including shelters, food distribution, and healthcare, as well as the asylum procedure and reception pathways. It also offers initial psychological support and identifies individuals with specific needs (such as injured or ill people, unaccompanied minors, pregnant women, etc.), to promptly activate protection measures in coordination with the network of local actors.
The project is part of the IRC’s commitment to promoting the protection of rights, dignity, and inclusion of migrants.
Results achieved
From January 2022 to March 2026, IRC reached 54,588 people through first-response support and socio-legal orientation activities. Among them:
- 38,074 single men
- 8,216 single women
- 7,086 unaccompanied foreign minors
- 1,447 family units, for a total of 7,086 people, including 3,413 accompanied minors
The main nationalities of the people supported are:
- Afghanistan (52%)
- Pakistan (14%)
- Turkey (10%)
Activities carried out
The project provides a first access point to essential services, ensuring:
- Information on rights and opportunities for accessing services, provided in relevant languages and with linguistic and cultural mediation
- Orientation and accompaniment to canteens, shelters, clinics, and immigration offices
- Distribution of essential goods
- Psychosocial support
Special attention is given to the early identification of vulnerable situations, with the prompt activation of protection mechanisms in collaboration with the local network.
Donors: IRC global fundraising, Municipality of Trieste funds, and Fondazione Intesa San Paolo
Total project budget
- Spent in 2022 403,702 EUR
- Spent in 2023 61,510 EUR
- Spent in 2024 87,325 EUR
- Spent in 2025 59,856 EUR
- Spent in 2026 85,149 EUR
Impact and advocacy
Alongside field activities, IRC systematically collects both quantitative and qualitative data on all individuals encountered during outreach activities. This evidence forms the basis of the reports listed below, which analyze flows, needs, and key challenges, and support advocacy efforts aimed at improving the management of migration at the eastern border.
The project enabled the publication of:
- 6 advocacy reports on the needs and challenges of newly arrived migrants in Trieste
- Periodic monitoring reports (monthly and quarterly)
These tools help shed light on a phenomenon that is often underreported and contribute to informing public and institutional debate, providing concrete evidence to improve policies and interventions in support of migrants.
Contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
The project actively contributes to several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations 2030 Agenda, in particular:
- SDG 3 – Good Health and Well-being, through psychosocial support and guidance to health services
- SDG 10 – Reduced Inequalities, by facilitating equitable access to services for vulnerable groups
- SDG 16 – Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions, by promoting access to rights and legal information
- SDG 17 – Partnerships for the Goals, through coordination with local networks and institutional actors
Our commitment
Through this project, IRC Italy continues to work to ensure reception, protection, and access to fundamental rights, while strengthening dialogue with institutions and civil society.