Foreword
by Georgios Kaminis
The refugee crisis that erupted in the summer of 2015, brought cities in Europe at the forefront of this new reality. They had to welcome, provide humanitarian assistance and accommodate thousands of people, fleeing war and devastation. In a crisis that has created tension and undermined Europe’ s fundamental values, our cities have proven that they can offer solutions to the multiple implications of the refugee challenge and be the frontrunners in promoting coexistence and mutual respect.
Athens has been one of the cities most affected by the influx of refugees and became a transit point on their way to Europe, on their way to safety. The City of Athens’ response was immediate and effective. We had to guarantee the protection of these people’ s fundamental rights and to gradually promote their integration in our society.
Today, Athens is hosting, through different accommodation schemes, more than 12.000 people, among them many are children and unaccompanied minors. They are the most vulnerable group and in need of care and protection in order to quickly regain a sense of belonging, normality and safety.
The role of cities in this particular context is of the utmost importance. They have to provide children appropriate services in order to facilitate their adaptation to their new life. The City of Athens, through its social services, offers psychosocial support to them and to their parents, in close collaboration with organisations such as SOS Children’ s Villages. At the same time, we monitor their enrolment to schools in direct contact with the state authorities while we bring together refugee children and children of the host community, offering all of them an array of activities through our“ Open Schools” programme.
Children are the future citizens. We have an obligation and duty to facilitate their integration and to offer them every opportunity to build relationships, receive education and become active members in their societies; to offer them every opportunity to fulfill their destiny.
The way we handle these issues today will determine our future as a continent. The migration challenge is here to stay and it will keep knocking on our door for many years to come. Every delay or refusal to face this reality turns into a structural problem that is much harder to deal with at a latter stage. European cities and local authorities, together with international organisations, have a leading role to play in implementing integration strategies and securing social cohesion.
Georgios Kaminis Mayor of Athens, Member of the European Committee of the Regions
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