“Emergency Aid and Integration” is a program for refugees who have been returned to Greece from other countries, as well as for refugees who, after being granted refugee status in Greece, must leave the refugee camps or temporary housing and subsequently find themselves without a place to stay or even homeless. The program has been in place since September 2026.

Here, Nelly, project coordinator for “Emergency Aid and Integration” on Just Human’s Athens team, talks about her work at the start of the project:

“The risk of homelessness and exploitation here is real.”

“I’m sitting at my desk at the Victoria Community Center as the morning drop-in hours come to a close. Outside, the street is bustling, but inside, the weight of the stories shared today is still settling. I kept thinking about how heavy the transition is for people the moment they receive official refugee status, suddenly leaving the camps with nowhere to turn, or arriving back in Greece after trying so hard to build a life elsewhere.

This month, we officially kicked off our new project at Just Human. Today during consultations, I was reminded why having dedicated support for LGBTIQ+ refugees, women, and single mothers is so vital; the risk of homelessness and exploitation here is real, but seeing someone catch their breath when they realize they have administrative support, counselling, and basic emergency aid means everything.

Finding shelter in Athens is nearly impossible on a good day; the shelter system is totally overrun, and for refugees facing discrimination, surviving on the street without a roof over their head carries constant, immediate danger. The fear and uncertainty as they try to navigate public spaces without a safe place to go is palpable.

The shelter crisis here is at a breaking point. The moment people receive refugee status, state support ends, leaving them stranded without options. Emergency housing and city shelters are utterly overflowing. Layered on top of that is the constant threat and anxiety of living outside with no guaranteed safety.

This is the exact reality Just Human built this program to respond to. By keeping our focus tight and capping intake at five cases a week, we are able to sit with them for hours, not just handing over basic emergency aid and clothes, but starting the immediate work on administrative support, psychosocial counselling, and legal referrals so we can actually give people the time and care they need.

Because we prioritize LGBTIQ+ refugees, women, and single mothers, we can offer a genuinely safe space in a city that often feels hostile to their very existence. There is so much work ahead to secure them long-term safety and a chance to integrate into society, but today, they knew they weren’t facing it alone.

We’re back at the office for drop-ins again tomorrow morning. There’s still so much work to do, but sitting across from someone and offering a real path forward makes the long days worth it.”

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