A few months ago, we reported on former unaccompanied minors (read the respective article) who, faced with the lack of alternative housing options after leaving the shelter, chose to work during the recent tourist season. At that time, the role of the employment counselor was characterized by urgency, immediate problem-solving, and constant availability, as the circumstances allowed no room for delay.

Today, many of these young people have returned and the context has changed.

Having been relieved from housing-related stress and having gained valuable work experience in Greece, they are now more mature and better connected. This shift allows them the time and space to reflect on their next steps. In close cooperation with employment counselors, they are now exploring more stable employment opportunities, with the aim of building a sustainable daily life in Athens.

Seasonal employment is demanding, and the risk of labor-related violations is significant.

The Employment Service seeks to ensure that young people who work throughout the summer in Greek tourist destinations do not return discouraged or with a sense of injustice. For this reason, counselors maintained regular contact with beneficiaries throughout the entire season, while referrals were made to employers within the established employment network, where relationships of trust were already in place.

This trust constitutes the most important outcome of the process. It forms the foundation upon which both ongoing and new cycles of counseling can develop no longer under the pressure of immediate need, but with the opportunity for thoughtful and long-term planning.

*The Athens Solidarity Center project is implemented in collaboration with the Ministry of Migration and Asylum and funding from the Swiss-Greek Cooperation Programme in Greece (Embassy of Switzerland in Greece), for three years starting August 1st, 2023.