At the Athens Solidarity Center, the event marking the start of a new collaboration between the Special Secretariat for Migration of Switzerland, the Ministry of Migration and Asylum of Greece, and the organization took place yesterday, November 2nd. The event was attended by the Minister of Migration and Asylum, Dimitris Kairidis, the Minister of Justice and Police of Switzerland, Elisabeth Baume-Schneider, and the Mayor of Athens, Kostas Bakoyannis.
This event marks the beginning of financial support for the Center from the collaboration program between the two countries for the next three years, ensuring its smooth operation for the benefit of the most vulnerable. The Athens Solidarity Center has been operating since 2014, offering free services to all those in need regardless of criteria. To date, more than 60,000 individuals have benefited from its services.
At the outset of the event, Mr. Dimitris Kairidis, Minister of Migration and Asylum, stated: “It is very important that the work of the Athens Solidarity Center continues at this particular historic point. In our country, efforts have been made to control migration flows, but much more needs to be done for the integration of people into society. No one can achieve this alone; thus, partnerships between stakeholders are of great importance and yield excellent results.”
Following this, Elisabeth Baume-Schneider, Minister of Justice and Police of Switzerland, greeted the event and stated: “Today, I am here to inaugurate an exceptional project, and I am pleased that this Center is part of the Swiss-Greek cooperation program. This project addresses some of Greece’s challenges in migration, ensuring the protection and social inclusion of refugees, asylum seekers, and vulnerable groups, demonstrating the vital role of civil society in supporting these groups.”
In his remarks, Mayor of the City of Athens, Kostas Bakoyannis, emphasized that “What is happening is excellent because what SolidarityNow has achieved in Athens serves as an example and a model of what central administration, local government, and Civil Society can offer when they collaborate.”
Finally, the founder and Chairman of the Board of SolidarityNow, Stelios Zavvos, addressed the need for partnerships, emphasizing that “Through support from the Swiss-Greek cooperation program, we are creating a solidarity partnership for the most vulnerable, continuing our work that began 10 years ago with the founding of SolidarityNow and the Athens Solidarity Center. Especially in today’s era plagued by armed conflicts, population displacement, and inequalities, the importance of Civil Society organizations is extremely significant, while the need for a people-centered pan-European asylum system, supporting countries at the borders, and based on solidarity among European states is urgent.”
The event concluded with a brief discussion between Wivine, a beneficiary of the Center from the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Theodore Zeis, a lawyer from the legal service, regarding her refugee journey that began in 2019 and the joint efforts of the Center’s staff and herself for integration into Greek society. “I had a difficult life in my homeland. Now, I am here trying to feel safe, to keep my family members who have stayed close to me, and for all of us to live better in Greece together.” Wivine, a mother of five, has lost two of her children, her mother, and her husband on her journey to Europe.