FROM RECEPTION TO WORK Migrant Point EKA Vania Nedeltcheva . FROM RECEPTION TO WORK Vania Nedeltcheva Migrant Point EKA vanianed@inegsee.gr

Eastern Mediterranean route (Turkey & Greece) Central Mediterranean route (Libya & Tunisia & Italy)

Migrant Point EKA Athens Labor Unions Organization (EKA) Regional TU, member of the Greek Confederation of Labor (GSEE). Membership of 403 TU (private & wider public sector) Activities: City of Athens & region of Attica EKA was the first Greek trade union which from the early 90's has created a special Secretariat of Economic Migrants 2006: Migrant Point EKA was launched through the EU initiative Equal/ ESF/ Round II: “Observatory and Network for the strengthening of the economic immigrants and refugees in the labor market”, in cooperation with the Labor Institute of the Greek General Confederation of Labor (INE GSEE). Activities: Legal & Vocational group and individual counselling, Information/ support/ translation/ integration/ labor, social & human rights of the migrants and refugees in Greece (Help desk, 2 Help lines) Trainings/ campaigns/cultural events/ Information meetings Promotion of active participation in TU, migrant communities and other collective organizations

Project: “Information and Counseling Support Network for employees and unemployed” Within the framework of the Operational Program "Development of Human Resources, Education and Lifelong Learning - ESPA 2014-2020“ at national level, co-funded by the European Union (ESF) and the Greek State. The Network was created by the Labor Institute of the Greek General Confederation of Labor (INE/ GSEE). Aim: support of Greek and foreign workers, with emphasis and priority in the fields of social security, labor relations, and employment, providing reliable information and support for employed and unemployed workers in regard to labor relations, social security legislation, as well as employment and vocational training. Main tasks: • to develop and update a wide range of data and information in the field which to be shared to beneficiaries entities and individuals. • to provide counseling in various ways (in person, via phone lines, online, visits to workplaces, TU, NGOs, migrant communities, etc.). The team of the project consists of a group of legal experts with expertise and experience in labor and social security legislation (individual and collective), counsellors, and technical support team.

The services are free and are provided by specialized counsellors who apply specific methods and tools and address the beneficiaries through : Regional Network Consulting offices (based in local Labor Centers in Greece and 2 central units in Athens (INE GSEE headquarters & Migrant Point EKA). Communication with the target group: Individual direct counselling in the local offices/ e-mail/ electronic interactive communication platform/ website/ group meetings/ seminars and information days. Users of the Network: All the employees in the private sector, unemployed, TU officials and unionized workers in primary unions and associations, entities of local authorities and local communities, migrant organizations, etc. Thematic field: Employment, Education, Long-Life Learning, Entrepreneurship, Individual and Group Legal and Vocational Counselling of employed and unemployed citizens (Greeks & foreign workers).

Reception and integration of the refugees in Greece Campaigns of solidarity for the refugees in Athens (since 2015): Beside their main activities the TU, members of EKA, constantly offer a humanitarian help to the refugees. From this effort, EKA continues to gather clothes, medicine and food which are still distributed through the Union of Palestinian Workers for poor refugee families until today. Participation in the campaign "A school back on the Way“, an initiative, jointly organized by local NGOs and Municipality of Athens.

Reception and integration of the refugees in Greece 2016- 2017 : From reception to integration? The Migrant Point EKA provided 31 legal and vocational counselling trainings for two target groups: for TCN and refugees, beneficiaries of various NGOs. In addition, the employees in these organizations (legal, social and employment units) were consulted upon request. Domestic workers: thematic workshop on labor rights of women domestic workers in Greece (TCN, refugees and asylum seekers) who have been working or wishing to work in the field (domestic workers, care givers and baby-sitters) on their working conditions, labor rights and negotiating for employment in such positions (2016). Young migrants & refugees: thematic workshop (Labor rights in Greece& EU mobility (2017) Mixed gender groups: “Bridging the gap from reception to integration” (4 Integration workshops for refugees and asylum seekers (2017). Female refugees: 25 workshops (2016, 2017).

Trainings for registered female refugees (new arrivals) 2016- 2017 Entrepreneurship and Social Economy: a workshop was provided for a group of creators from Afghanistan who wanted to start a business in Greece. Integration workshops: 24 groups of female refugees received a group counselling based on 3 training modules in relation to their specific needs: - “Introduction to basic labor and social rights in Greece” - “Access to education in Greece” (primary & secondary school, university, Second chance schools, private schools) “Relocation & EU mobility”.

Main aim of the training activities: to familiarise the refugees with their basic rights in Greece and especially with the knowledge and information they need for their social and labor integration in the country. Furthermore, emphasis was given on the possibility of connecting to the Greek society through collective participation in migrant communities or unions. Field of the counselling group sessions : CURRENT LEGISLATION/ ACCESS TO THE LABOR MARKET/ TU AND MEMBERSHIP/ EDUCATION/ EU MOBILITY Target group: Female refugees (age: 16- 45) Young Refugees and Asylum seekers (age: 18- 25) Mixed gender groups: (age: 18- ) The participants were divided regarding the spoken language. Respectively interpretation from Greek and English to Arabic, Farsi and French languages was provided. Countries of origin: Syria, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Morocco, Algeria, Pakistan, Somalia, Cameroon, Nepal, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Kongo, Ivory Coast, China, and Somalia. The training sessions took place upon request and in cooperation with local NGOs providing reception and/ or integration in Athens (accommodation, Greek language lessons, psychological and social support, etc.).

Conclusions Despite being confronted with a severe economic and social crisis for the past years, Greece has been receiving and continues to receive flows of asylum seekers and migrants. There is a need to provide information in a language that the target group understands. The training activities provided by EKA to refugees make clear that the integration is a multidimensional process of indicators (learning the native language, access to labor, qualifications, housing, education, etc.) and goes through a multistakeholder approach (ΕΚΑ: Cooperation with the Municipality of Athens, Labor Inspectorates, TU, local NGOs, migrant communities, etc.) and synergies with other international and national projects implemented. We also need to take into account the growing diversity of this specific group in order to design and apply relevant programs. Finally, it should not be forgotten that the refugees who arrive in EU are often the more resourceful. Providing them with a constant long-term reception, legal and vocational counselling may help them to continue their lives and to protect them of criminal networks and labor exploitation.