Psycho-Social Support to Asylum Seekers

Psycho-Social Support to Asylum Seekers Contract Title Παροχή δωρεάν κοινωνικής αρωγής και ψυχολογικής στήριξης σε αιτητές ασύλου(GR) Psycho-Social Support to Asylum Seekers Contract Number YA/ΕΤΠ/2007/01 Funding Period 01/02/2008 to 31/12/2008 Funding Agency European Refugee Fund Total Cost €86,284.00 Partners Future Worlds Center Centre for Training Therapy & Research The Mediterranean Institute of Gender Studies

Implementation

The project was implemented by the Humanitarian Affairs Unit of Future Worlds Center. The project was complementary to the core Asylum Seakers project, which runs for over 6 years under the umbrella of Future Worlds Center. It has been implemented in collaboration with the Social Work and Psychology Unit of the University of Nicosia with funding from the Cyprus Agency of the European Refugee Fund.

Project Objectives

The project's aim was to provide social aid and psychosocial support to asylum seekers in Cyprus at a national level. It attempted to reduce psychological dysfunctions and other social problems as well as to inform them for their rights such as employment, housing, material standards for reception, medical care and public assistance. The project offered the following services:

• The development of interagency collaboration network for the smooth operation of the project as to make the transition of asylum seekers to the community the easiest possible
• Provision of social support services to cover issues such as housing, job, human rights and other relevant to their residence in Cyprus
• Provision of psychological support services

The project aimed to improve asylum seekers' living conditions in Cyprus with regard to their social situation and their psychological state.

Our Involvement

To Future Worlds Center will provided the space for psychosocial support, covering all of Cyprus, with particular focus in the province of Nicosia. In this context it hosted in its premises a professional social worker employed by the project, and two trainees that gave additional support to the program's running. Due to our expertise we coordinated the whole project and we chaired the meetings of the project's panel.

Directly benefiting groups

• Asylum seekers and their families are the ultimate beneficiaries of the program. The aim is a qualitative upgrading of their accommodation and living conditions during their stay in Cyprus.
• The officers of government departments and the police dealing with asylum seekers. While they are responsible to run a range of support services they can often feel drained by their work overload and the hardships they come across on a daily basis.
• Government agencies, and non-governmental organizations working with immigration issues, which are expected to raise awareness and seek the development of such services that are currently inadequate to address the psychosocial problems of asylum seekers.