Our partner on Lesvos
Since the beginning of 2022, borderline-lesvos has been operating as an independent association under the name Welcome Office on the island of Lesvos. Although it is no longer a direct part of borderline-europe, there is still a close partnership and cooperation as a collaboration partner in Greece.
On the island of Lesvos, there are currently "only" 2,500 refugees left, most of them in the "Mavrovouni" or "Moria2" camp (as of March 2023). Since 2020, the isolation of the people and the exit restrictions have become worse and worse, and the policy towards refugees has become increasingly repressive. It is therefore even more important to give people a perspective outside the camp. The Welcome Office offers social counselling and flexible support where it is needed most. Language lessons? No problem. Opening a bank account? No problem. Information on how to continue traveling after being recognized as a refugee? No problem. In the Welcome Office's facilities, we also work together with various self-organized groups. Apart from the flats for families (of which we have six) and our open office, this part is particularly important to us because we see how rarely refugees themselves are involved in solutions on the ground, even though they are the real experts on the humanitarian crisis in Europe.
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The association is involved in various projects:
- Welcome Office
The iniative Welcome Office on Lesvos operates a large office in the centre of the capital. Many visitors come to the office every day, seeking support on various levels. Welcome Office assists them by accompanying them to the authorities, providing translations, referring them to other organizations, and offering general information about finding a flat. Financial assistance for ferry tickets, medication, or passport fees is also provided, along with help in opening bank accounts and assistance in applying for unemployment cards. Welcome Office has been active in Lesvos since 2015, working closely with the existing structures and initiatives that exist on the island. Support is needed to continue helping people at a time when many NGOs are withdrawing from Lesvos, and the European Union's migration policy is increasingly restricting access to assistance.
- Housing for people on the move
Our welcome initiative on Lesvos has a large office in the centre of the capital. The Welcome Office has many visitors every day, whom the Welcome Office supports on various levels, from accompanying them to the authorities, translations, providing contacts to other organisations, and general information about finding a flat, providing money for a ferry ticket, medication or passport fees, to opening a bank account and applying for an unemployment card. The initative has been active in Lesvos since 2015, working closely with the existing structures and initiatives that exist on the island. The Welcome Office needs your help to continue supporting people at a time when many NGOs are now withdrawing from Lesvos and the European Union's migration policy is increasingly restricting people.
- 5 flats for families
- 1 emergency shelter for women with children
- 1 shared flat for LGBTIQ refugees.
- In case of emergency (and if we have the money) we offer financial support to some self-renting families, e.g. if they cannot pay their electricity bill
- "Proti Stassi"
In 2015, the Welcome Office founded the association in the north-east of the island to support newly arrived refugees. By 2020, the Welcome Office was able to transport many people from the coast to a safe place and give them some dry clothes, water or tea, and some food upon arrival. But the situation has changed a lot since then. In the meantime, NGOs are no longer even allowed to go near the "unregistered people". Thus, the Welcome Office is denied almost any direct access to the new arrivals and witnesses many illegal deportations to Turkey. The Welcome Office remains as observers and still has a clothing donation warehouse in our "first reception centre" from back then, from where the Welcome Office continues to distribute clothing, both to other organizations on the island and directly to people in the Welcome Office.
- Public awareness
Thanks to the long experience on the island, the Welcome Office, formerly known as borderline-lesvos, has been able to collect a lot of background information over the years, some of which the Welcome Office processes for public relations purposes. In cooperation with other groups, the Welcome Office has worked on reports on various topics. Networking and monitoring are also part of the Welcome Office's work. In order to bring about a real change in the situation of refugees on Lesvos, it is essential to question the political situation behind the circumstances there and to actively oppose it. The human rights violations have become so serious that the Welcome Office can no longer find words for what is happening in a country of the European Union. That's why the Welcome Office is increasingly taking part in events that aim to raise political awareness. The Welcome Office also has cooperation with a radio station that broadcasts directly from Lesbos to the rest of the world.
Visit the website where you will find the latest annual reports, more info and how you can support the Welcome Office directly.
