Statement on the pre-registration process for refugees

SolidarityNow supports governmental efforts to confront the existing refugee crisis while respecting ‪‎humanrights.

“We welcome the procedure of pre-registration which began a few days ago and which will grant access to ‪‎asylum procedures to all those that wish to partake in the process. The participants in the pre-registration procedure will receive a certificate of legal temporary residency in ‪Greece and of access to basic services,” says Epaminondas Farmakis, Managing Director of SolidarityNow. However, he also stresses that: “We cannot overlook a crucial loophole that exists in this procedure and that unfortunately challenges efforts to integrate the people on the move: the certificate given to those who have been registered does not permit access to the labor market”.

At SolidarityNow, we have already hired ‪#‎refugees for our projects, mostly for interpretation positions, where there is already significant difficulty in finding adequate workforce. Therefore, we have seen firsthand how beneficial the aforementioned procedure is for the integration of refugees in our country, given the fact that it offers them the opportunity to become independent and to lead a dignified life.

This legal gap must be addressed immediately!