Greece
Guiding, shaping and resisting: Refugee mothers’ educational strategies as they navigate ‘unsettlement’
Contrary to popular media tropes of the ‘young, lone, male refugee’ arriving at Europe’s borders, Greece has in fact seen a steady flow of female refugees arriving since 2015. Most newcomers come in family groups, and many, including teenage girls, are mothers - many of whom aspire to continue (or begin) their schooling. While access to formal education has increased…
2022
Conceptual metaphors, plurilingualism and second language acquisition: a refugee education case study
The purpose of this study is to explore the use of equivalent conceptual metaphors and the correspondent linguistic expressions in refugee students’ L1s and L2s and examine the possible positive effects conceptual metaphors can induce for vocabulary learning and retention in second language learning. Moreover, another aim of the research is to investigate the use of conceptual metaphors as a…
2022
The form-school as a vehicle for the detotalization of refugee camps in Greece
Refugee camps have been multiplying at the gates of the European Union since the escalation of the Libyan and Syrian conflicts in 2016, particularly in Greece and Italy. These countries, which act as the main gateways, are implementing a “hotspots” approach included in the European agenda on migration established for the period 2015–2020. At the same time, restrictive migration policies…
2022
Sustaining Non-formal Refugee Education Programs in a Covid-future World
In this discussion essay, characteristics of the provision of formal and non-formal education for refugee children in Greece will be explored through a comparative approach. The comparison reveals aspects of the social environments in the lives of refugee children. These will be examined through the lens of Uri Bronfenbrenner’s (1979, 1986) ecological systems theory as a means to understand the…
2022
Holistic refugee and newcomer education in Europe: Mapping, upscaling and institutionalising promising practices from Germany, Greece and the Netherlands
Education is one of the most important fields to promote the integration of refugee and newcomer children and youths in host countries. However, holistic education for refugee and newcomers has so far not been established into mainstream education systems in European countries. Projects and pilot programmes have developed across Europe to test holistic approaches. Some of them have started very…
2022
Relocation 2.0: tying adult refugee skills to labour market demand
This Cedefop policy brief is based on an empirical piece of work carried out in Greece and Portugal. The work tested if, and under what conditions, intra-EU relocation of refugees based on skills and labour market needs in countries of relocation may work. Experience gained indicates six ways in which progress can be made to expand relocation in Europe based…
2022
Educators’ perspectives on translanguaging schoolscape and language education for refugee students in Greek educational settings
The past and current situation in Greece regarding the refugee crisis has created educators’ need to apply new educational strategies to address refugee students, such as the use of translanguaging, linguistic landscape and schoolscape as pedagogical tools. That is why the present study attempts to reveal the degree of educators’ employment of practices such as translanguaging and inclusion of students’…
2022
Longitudinal evaluation of friendship project: A multicultural – antiracist program for elementary school children
This study presents the results of the evaluation of Friendship Project-Greek version (FP-GR), a school based multicultural and anti-racist program aiming to develop intercultural skills and positive intergroup relationships, as well as familiarize and sensitize children with refugees’ life circumstances and difficulties. The aim of the study was to adapt FP in the Greek context and evaluate its longitudinal effectiveness…
2022
Second Language Assessment Issues in Refugee and Migrant Children’s Integration and Education: Assessment Tools and Practices for Young Students with Refugee and Migrant Background in Greece
European countries—Greece included—recognize the fact that the language of schooling in the host country constitutes the first step for the newcomer children’s reception and integration. Greece, as a dominant receiving country, has adopted a top-level policy for its educational system. Considering the above, this research paper presents and analyzes the assessment tests and practices that educators have access to for…
2022
SIRIUS Watch 2021: Towards inclusive digital education for migrant children
SIRIUS Watch 2021 presents trends and developments on the effects of digitalisation in education on migrant children both pre- COVID-19 and during COVID-19. It will build on national and EU-level research, as well as the results of the SIRIUS Online Digital Workshop. The results include a clear framework of challenges and recommendations to support the development of an inclusive digital…
2021
Teach us for what is coming: The transition into adulthood of foreign unaccompanied minors in Europe: case studies from France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, and the Netherlands
This report looks at what it is like to be a young person alone and seeking safety in Europe when turning 18. It paints a difficult situation with many shortcomings but also some promising practices. The main finding is there is no legal framework or specific support schemes for unaccompanied minors (UAMs) entering adulthood. This leaves many young people to…
2021
Back to School? Refugee children in Greece denied right to education
Refugee children in Greece also face dire prospects of receiving a quality education. Even before Covid-19, less than a third of refugee and migrant children were actually enrolled and attending school. The education crisis on the Greek islands is particularly acute. Less than 15% of children in refugee camps attended formal school in the previous year. In the notorious Reception…
2021
Migrants, Refugees and Asylum Seekers’ Integration in European Labour Markets: A Comparative Approach on Legal Barriers and Enablers
The Sirius first open access book entitled 'Migrants, Refugees, and Asylum Seekers' Integration in European Labour Markets. A Comparative Approach on Legal Barriers and Enablers' discusses how, and to what extent, the legal and institutional regimes and the socio-cultural environments of a range of European countries (the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Italy, Switzerland and the United Kingdom), in the…
2021
The integration of asylum seekers and refugees in the field of education and the labour market: Comparative thematic report
This report is based on a meta-analysis of nine national reports on integration from countries along the so-called Eastern Mediterranean Route. It includes two countries beyond the EU, Turkey and Iraq, which have played an important role as source and transit countries of refugees, the transit countries of Greece, Italy and Poland, and the destination countries of Austria, Germany, Sweden,…
2021
Living in the European borderlands: Representation, humanitarian work, and integration in times of crises in Greece
The migration flows that peaked during the 2015-2016 “refugee crisis” have had long-lasting effects to the countries of the European South. The latter have been deemed as border wardens of the European Union, filtering the “undesirables” who pose a threat to the European North, and by extension a proclaimed “Western way of life.” This project examines the living conditions of…
2021
Education for all? The right to education in Greek refugee camps. A case study
In the last years, due to ongoing and new conflicts, the European Union (EU) and its member states have seen increasing numbers of refugees seeking for refuge and security. Since 2015, more than 100 thousand people, 60% of whom are younger than 30 years old, arrived at the shores of Europe in Greece and were suddenly confronted with new challenges…
2021
Bordered Trajectories: The Impact of Institutional Bordering Practices on Young Refugees’ (Re-)Engagement with Post-15 Education in Greece
Greece has been a site of various crises in recent years: firstly, the financial crash of 2008; secondly, the ongoing ‘refugee crisis’, which peaked in 2015; and thirdly, the current COVID-19 pandemic. This paper addresses the first of these crises, and particularly how state responses to increased migration flows shape young refugees’ (aged 15–25) (re-)engagement with post-15 learning opportunities upon…
2021
Allies, access and (collective) action: Young refugee women’s navigation of gendered educational constraints in Greece
Contrary to popular media tropes of the ‘young, lone, male refugee’ arriving at Europe’s borders, Greece has in fact seen a steady flow of young refugee women arriving since 2015. While many wish to engage in post-compulsory (15+) education, in order to gain valuable skills and enjoy new freedoms, various factors make it difficult to do so. Based on eight…
2021
Ensuring Quality Early Childhood Education for Refugee Children: A New Approach to Teacher Professional Development
The provision of early childhood education (ECE) for refugees is extremely limited in many settings. Where it does exist, programmes are often poorly resourced. While all refugee education is underfunded, ECE is particularly underfunded and under-supported. High-quality ECE can be a powerful avenue for helping young refugee children manage their trauma and for supporting their well-being in the short and…
2021
Empowerment of the refugee migrant community through a cooperation project on art education in Greece
This article contributes to the inclusion of the refugee community located in Polykastro (Greece) through an art cooperation project between the University of Seville and the NGO Open Cultural Center. We suggest that art education promotes the full development of the individual and the community. This study examines the identification stage which took place in October 2019. Using a Logical…
2021
The Accelerated Learning Programme (ALP) of UNICEF for teaching history in culturally and linguistically diverse classrooms in Greece
Our study pertains to the development of new teaching material for the subject of History, to be used in the low Greek secondary education (Gymnasium), either in reception or in mixed classes attended mostly by refugee and immigrant children, approximately 13-15 years old, who are taught and learn Greek as their second language (L2). Our design aimed at the development…
2021
Educating ‘others’: Drawing on the collective wisdom of intercultural experts
Forty invited interculturalists (both academics and non-academics) from nine countries engaged in developing a coherent culture of dialogue and collective action to address the challenge of redefining intercultural education provisions with regard to the needs of refugee children. The method of cooperative inquiry to elicit theoretical and professional expertise from the participants was adopted. This inquiry was based on four…
2021
A needs assessment study on refugees' inclusion through physical education and sport. Are we ready for this challenge?
In recent years, European countries have become hosting destinations for thousands of people who have been forced to leave their home countries. Greece is one of the main European hosting countries of refugees, especially children. Thus, the pupil population is gradually changing and the need for intercultural education is increasing. Physical education (PE) and sports have been recorded as suitable…
2021
An overview of refugee education in Europe
The overview of refugee children education in Europe we provide in this book is part of the Erasmus + project “ITIRE: Improving teaching to improve refugee children education”. Following the unprecedented flow of forced migrants to Europe in 2015, several countries have adopted measures to facilitate the enrolment of refugee children in the educational system. These actions have produced a…
2020
United Kingdom
Serbia
Slovakia
Caregivers
Netherlands
Lithuania
English
Ireland
Hungary
France
Greece
Bulgaria
Access & participation
Spain
Latvia
Türkiye
Denmark
Cyprus
Malta
Iceland
Albania
Norway
Belgium
Czech
Intervention
Romania
Luxembourg
Switzerland
Bosnia
Monaco
Human rights
Croatia
Germany
Estonia
Sweden
Finland
Italy
Macedonia
Austria
Poland
Slovenia
Portugal
Integration Policies,Trends, Problems and Challenges: An Integrated Report of 9 Country Cases
This report provides a snapshot for some of the primary findings, trends and challenges with regard to immigrant integration that have been studied in nine country cases, based on research conducted within the framework of the Horizon2020 RESPOND project. These countries are Sweden, Germany, Italy, Greece, Austria, Poland, the UK, Turkey and Iraq. All nine country reports study integration in…
2020
What are the educational conditions (in theory and practice) for minor refugees who arrive in Lesvos, Greece?
Since late 2014, Greece has had to confront not only the economic crisis but also the increase of migration flows from the Middle East region. According to the Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989), Article 28 referred to the right of the child to education and that the State has the obligation to make primary education compulsory and…
2020
Social Innovation in Fashion Design: Can Design Provide Opportunities of Inclusion to Refugees in Greece?
Nearly 60.000 war refugees remain stranded in Greece [1], without any plan of amelioration for their living conditions. Design thinking strategy combined with social innovation could generate new scenarios of inclusion in the Greek society through the exchange of culture, knowledge and practical skills. In order to examine this hypothesis, members of Politecnico di Milano collaborated with Ankaa, a social…
2020
Professional Narratives in Refugee Education: Volunteer Teachers’ Challenges, Needs, Skills, and Accomplishments within the Framework of Non-Formal Education
This paper, which adopts a narrative and autobiographical narrative inquiry, aims to highlight the meaningful stories of four volunteers, including the researcher herself, who have offered language support to refugee students at a refugee camp in central Greece. Narratives are a crucial feature of human existence since they determine our traits, values, and worldviews. The individual stories of a small…
2020
Refugee Youth Educational Trajectories
This is an account of three refugee youth—Yaser, Abas, and Malek—who fled from their home countries and arrived in Greece after 2015 as unaccompanied asylum-seeking minors. All three youngsters were fluent in English and engaged in public narration at the Intercultural Forum in Nafplion Greece in June 2018. Through vivid narratives, they showcase their tireless efforts to obtain formal education…
2020
A Professional Narrative about Refugee Education in Non-Formal Education Learning Centers in Athens
This article is about where I saw myself in taking Refugee Education challenges as a teacher in a non-formal education center. I will also reflect on the required types of responsibilities and skills in the Refugee Education field as well as my main accomplishments as a Greek language teacher. I am going to analyze the precarious-transit status of refugee students…
2020
Professional Narratives in Refugee Education
The dramatic increase of population movement toward the borders of European Union together with the closing of the central European borders trapped a high percentage of refugee children in Greece. The present narrative aims to steer awareness of Refugee Educational efforts in Greece. The author adopts a narrative inquiry in order to capture her own professional recollections during her work…
2020
Gendered Spaces and Educational Expectations: the Case of the Former Refugee Camp “Elliniko” in Athens
This article examines the subjectivity of refugee women regarding education while in a state of prolonged “transit” in squalid conditions and within a context of limited agency. Specifically, we discuss the experience of forced migration and displacement of refugee Afghan women through a focus on processes of education in the context of their “temporary” accommodation in the former Elliniko camp…
2020
Refugee children’s integration in Greece: training future teachers to face new educational challenges
The aim of this paper is to present an action research project focusing on refugee children’s integration to the formal Greek education system as it relates to their mothers’ Greek language learning. Drawing on the interrelation between formal and non-formal education, this project took place at the Open Reception facility of Eleonas in Athens and addressed graduate and postgraduate students,…
2020
Parenting and education: The example of refugee parents in Greece
This article focuses on the interplay between parenthood and refugee status and documents the approaches that parents employ to become educational agents and enrich their children’s language knowledge and cultural capital while residing in refugee camps in northern Greece. It discusses the prominent role that encampment times play in structuring the disempowering refugee condition, and describes the parents’ strategies of…
2020
Opportunities and Barriers in Higher Education for Young Refugees in Greece
Over the last decade, Greece has been the dominant receiver of large waves of both migrants and refugees. Taking into consideration that (a) immigration (and the displacement of people from their homes in general) is a social phenomenon, (b) education has a significant influence on the development process and access to education is absolutely a fundamental human right, (c) real…
2020
Promoting Positive Attitudes toward Refugees: A Prejudice-Reduction, Classroom-Based Group Intervention for Preadolescents in Greece
The present study examined the effectiveness of a novel 6-session, prejudice-reduction group for Greek preadolescents. The sample consisted of 106 elementary school students aged 10–12 years, allocated to the intervention (n = 55) or control group (n = 51). Results indicated that, compared to the control group, participants in the intervention group showed more positive attitudes toward refugees as well as an increase…
2020
Refugee, Migrant Education and Social Policies in Greece: Finding Synergies and Sustainable Policies – National Roundtable of Greece 2019
On 7th July 2019, a new government has been elected in Greece, for the forthcoming four years. The new Minister of Education as well as the new vice Minister of Migration Policy will be interviewed in order to select data about the new forthcoming education policies. Amongst the first announced structural changes are the transfer of the Autonomous Department of…
2019
Access to education for refugee and migrant children in Europe
Three UN agencies are calling on European States to increase resources and practical support for their school systems to ensure all refugee, asylum-seeking and migrant children can access and stay in quality education. In a briefing paper published today, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, UNICEF, the United Nations Children’s Fund, and IOM, the International Organization for Migration, detail the obstacles…
2019
Education of refugee students in Greece: Teachers’ experiences
Greece encountered an unparalleled flow of people in 2015, what has been described as a “refugee crisis”. A substantial proportion of the refugee population comprised of children under the age of 18. The Greek state has been called to provide these children with the fundamental right to education. Considering that the need for refugee education provision at such a large…
2019
A descriptive study of the schooling and higher education reforms in response to the Refugees' influx into Greece
Since 2015, a large number of migrants (refugees and asylum seekers) from the Middle East, Asia, and Africa have arrived in Greece and continued their onward journey to western European countries where they settled. As various European Union (EU) countries have later blocked the flow of migrants from Greece to their final destination, thousands of them have been trapped in…
2019
Attitudes' analysis of fifth grade Spanish and Greek pupils towards refugee children: The cases of Granada and Alexandroupolis
In 2015, the largest refugee crisis since World War II occurred in Europe with a constant increase in the number of people crossing the Mediterranean Sea seeking protection. It is estimated that half of the refugees and asylum seekers are children. In order for these children not to lose opportunities, host countries worked to provide them access to education, both…
2019
Teaching practices, materials, and classroom climate in L2 classes offered to adult refugees and migrants in Greece
The present study aimed at investigating the teaching practices and materials, the challenges, as well as the classroom climate in Greek classes offered to adult refugees and migrants in three different regions in Greece. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews with the students and their teachers and classroom observations, which were analyzed through the content analysis method, in the…
2019
Social Work Education in Uncertain Times: Protecting the Human Rights of Migrants
In Greece, the coincidence of deep austerity occurring at the same time as the advent of large numbers of incoming asylum seekers and migrants has created an extremely pressing condition for social work practice. Social workers in state and municipal social services and in nongovernmental organizations are setting up frontline intensive interventions for arriving migrants and those staying in camps…
2019
Living with difference: Refugee education and school segregation processes in Greece
Global challenges and recent changes in conflict areas in the Middle East, Asia and Africa are reasons for the contemporary forced migration into European countries, which have become places of destination or transit posts for a great number of refugees. Cities have become the focus of the socio-spatial debate, as the main units for receiving refugees, either in state camps…
2019
How the different policies and school systems affect the inclusion of Syrian refugee children in Sweden, Germany, Greece, Lebanon and Turkey
Since the war in Syria started in 2011, many children left their war-torn country, alone or together with their families, and fled to neighboring countries in the Middle East, to Turkey or to Europe. This article will compare how Syrian refugee children are included – or not - in school systems both in Europe (Sweden, Germany and Greece) and outside…
2019
Multi‐country Partnership to Enhance the Education of Refugee and Asylum‐seeking Youth in Europe - PERAE
The ‘Multi‐country Partnership to Enhance the Education of Refugee and Asylum‐seeking Youth in Europe ‐ PERAE’ was initiated by the SIRIUS Network – Policy Network on Migrant Education in 2016 with the support of the Mercator Foundation. The initiative builds up on the SIRIUS ‘Agenda on Migrant Education’ (SIRIUS, 2014) and the Statement on Urgent Response for the Education of…
2018
#Back to School – A Comparative Overview of the Current Situation of Asylum Seeker and Refugee Children having Reached Compulsory School Age in Seven EU Member States
Education could pave the way towards a more stable and brighter future for children seeking and benefiting from international protection, after often several years of flight and insecurity. Many of them see education as an opportunity to re-build their lives in a new environment and they typically arrive highly motivated to continue school after long periods of absence. Still, law,…
2018