Curing the Limbo

The project

“Curing the Limbo” is a program aiming to implement a dynamic and innovative model for integration that allows refugees to become socially active. This can be achieved through attending courses in Greek, English, Creative Expression and ICT, gaining access to affordable housing, and receiving professional counseling services tailored to their needs. Refugees are thus integrated in the life of the city, by interacting with active citizen groups and participating in public events held in the neighbourhoods of Athens. In coming together, the refugees and the city exit their “limbo” state, boosting activity, cooperation, and co-existence.

Curing the Limbo is a European pilot program (2018-2021) of the city of Athens implemented with the strategic partnership of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (UoA), the Catholic Relief Services (CRS), the International Rescue Committee (IRC) and the Athens Development and Destination Management Agency (ADDMA). This project is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund through the Urban Innovative Actions (UIA) initiative.   

The impact of the good practice

While conducting the refugee skills assessment, the project staff supported by IRC will also work to identify interested employers in growth sectors, training providers, financial services providers and other private sector stakeholders that can support employment service provision for refugees. The mapping will be used by employment specialists to identify opportunities and provide information to refugee beneficiaries. IRC and partners will develop a specific plan of action for engaging with the private sector and beneficiaries to encourage refugees’ integration into the labor market, engagement of potential employers, as well as the methodology to approach and engage these stakeholders.

The innovation of “Curing the Limbo” lies on collaborative modeling, which provides retraining and affordable housing. At the same time, by improving their basic skills, refugees are more likely to get employed, mainly in areas of the exchange economy and the social entrepreneurship sector. The program aims to introduce a dynamic model of action, ensuring that refugees are becoming socially active again, get trained, attend courses in Greek, English and ICT, interconnect with active citizen groups via synAthina, a City of Athens initiative, gain access to affordable housing, while they themselves provide for the neighbourhoods of Athens. In coming together in various ways, refugees and the city exit the “limbo” state, take action, and start to cooperate and co-exist. This is the big challenge that “Curing the Limbo” has to face.