Problem addressed

By 2020, there were more than 100 000 refugees living in Greece, with 15 000-20 000 estimated to be living in the capital, Athens. Many of these individuals have been economically inactive for extended periods of time, while staying in temporary accommodation. A decade after the economic and financial crisis, the city is still facing high unemployment rates, which in turn makes it even more difficult for refugees to enter the labour market. 

Innovative solution

Curing the Limbo aims to actively support refugees to exit the state of ‘limbo’ caused by long-term inactivity and an overall feeling of uncertainty. It is an inclusive integration initiative to help refugees and vulnerable groups create strong bonds with their local communities, acquire new skills, solve local problems together with active citizens, and build self-confidence. These are all qualities that are essential for their development as responsible citizens.

The programme is innovative in its holistic approach, which actively involves local residents. City activities that refugees can take part in are identified by project partners and co-designed with local community groups based on a co-creation methodology developed by synAthina, the civil society platform of the city of Athens. This bridges the gap between locals and new residents in a creative way, allowing the community to be part of the solution.

The programme, which runs from April 2018 to March 2021, targets refugees who have been granted asylum, but have not yet managed to fully settle in Athens. It runs various activities for refugees. Beneficiaries attend courses in Greek, English and ICT, connect with active citizens’ groups, and participate voluntarily in city activities, giving back to the community. They take part in a training programme tailored to their needs, which includes psycho-social support, ‘street law’ knowledge, and other basic social and soft skills. Job counselling services are provided to increase their chance of entering the Greek labour market and becoming economically self-sufficient.

Through its housing facilitation unit, the programme also addresses the obstacles refugees face in accessing affordable housing. It acts as an intermediary between prospective renters and property owners, offering both parties a range of support services and financial assurances, with the aim of creating sustainable tenancies.

The project is implemented through an innovative partnership between a multitude of actors in Athens, including the City of Athens, as the leading partner, the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, the Catholic Relief Services, the International Rescue Committee and the Athens Development and Destination Management Agency. Through this integrated approach, refugees can be supported in different areas of their life – from education and employment, to housing and community integration.

Key results and benefits

Through the civil society platform of the Athens Municipality, synAthina, 200 refugees are taking part in 488 community activities with active local citizens, and are being empowered to collaborate and co-design activities that have a positive impact in their neighbourhoods. The programme is ongoing and results are not yet fully available. At the end of the three-year period, programme participants will have developed language skills, received support with transitioning to longer-term housing solutions, and been given access to a network of active and engaged local people, as well as to support necessary to find employment. 400 people are expected to have been housed through 110 affordable housing units, and more than 400 people will have attended Greek and English language and ICT courses.

The project also promotes social cohesion by building a novel relationship between the new and established residents of Athenian neighbourhoods. Above all, at the end of the programme, participants are expected to feel autonomous and better equipped to build a life in the city.

Potential for mainstreaming

Curing the Limbo is a European pilot integration programme led by the city of Athens and co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) through the Urban Innovative Actions initiative, an EU initiative that promotes pilot projects in the field of sustainable urban development. The total ERDF budget granted was approximately EUR 4.9 million. Beyond its desired impact in Athens, the strategic objective of the project is to transform its model for action into a sustainable public policy proposal that is transferrable to different European cities. The involvement of citizens at the heart of the project supports its sustainability, through fostering a strong sense of community and active citizenship. This would be key for transfer to another context.

Curing the Limbo was presented as one of the projects that helped to highlight Athens’s innovation, as a result of which, the city won EU Innovation Capital 2019.