As Greece faces an aging population and growing labor shortages in key sectors of its economy, a new report by The HOME Project underscores the urgent need for a national child protection and integration policy for unaccompanied refugee children.
The numbers speak for themselves: Greece is expected to need over 750,000 new workers by 2050. At the European level, the number exceeds 50 million. Instead of seeking labor abroad through costly and difficult-to-implement bilateral agreements, Greece should invest in the thousands of young people already living in the country who have both the willingness and the ability to contribute.
With the right support, they can – and have – become driven students, capable workers, and active citizens.
Since 2016, The HOME Project has provided comprehensive child protection and integration services (including psychological, educational, social, pedagogical and legal support) to over 1,400 unaccompanied refugee children from more than 40 countries, across its 13 shelters. Hundreds of these young people have thrived. They have successfully entered the workforce, pursued higher education, and built independent lives.
Key elements of success include a solid child protection framework, intensive Greek language learning, partnerships with universities and technical schools offering education and vocational training, and targeted synergies with employers to facilitate their entry into the job market.
However, significant institutional and political barriers still persist. The report “From survival to integration: Investing in a better future” highlights ongoing challenges: unsafe and prolonged stays in overcrowded reception centers, delays in asylum and guardianship procedures, limited access to healthcare and education, and the near-total absence of structured support once children turn 18.
While Greece has taken some important steps in recent years, such as legislating standards for shelters for unaccompanied minors and creating a national guardianship framework, the implementation of a fair integration policy remains problematic. At the same time, public discourse around refugees is growing increasingly hostile.
Other European countries have already acknowledged the long-term value of integration, even as they continue to use populist, anti-refugee rhetoric they believe will attract voters. Spain and Italy, for example, have issued hundreds of thousands of residence permits to address labor shortages. At the same time, innovative international programs are linking trained refugees to employers in countries like Canada, Germany, and Spain. Greece has yet to follow.
The HOME Project calls for Greece to do the same, linking protection to opportunity through child protection, education, vocational training, and access to employment.
“Thousands of refugee children and youth are already here. What they need is not charity — it is real protection, educational and academic support, and access to opportunities,” says Sofia Kouvelaki, Chief Executive Officer of The HOME Project.
“Over the past eight years, we have helped more than 1,400 children grow into active professionals, citizens, and contributors to the country they now call home. Integration isn’t a threat — it’s a necessary investment for our collective future and the prosperity of our society,” she adds.
The HOME Project is a non-profit organization that cares for unaccompanied refugee children whose lives have been wrecked by war and persecution, empowering them to persevere and grow into active citizens.
The organization rescues children from the streets, camps, police stations, detention centres and welcomes them in the safety of its shelters in Athens.
Across its 13 homes, the organization provides a safe, stable and healing environment, where children can receive the care and support they need to reclaim their childhood, take charge of their lives, and build a future for themselves.
