Complex psycho-social support for refugees and asylum seekers in Hungary

Project duration
2016
Responsible for the project
Anna Donáth
Supporter
UNHCR

The overall goal of the project is to provide flexible services targeting different needs in a protection system that cannot always respond to the changing circumstances. Moreover it aims to ensure the identification of vulnerable persons and to secure a sufficient level of reception conditions as well as access to local integration for those in need of international protection. Based on past years’ experiences we consider the integration of refugees and people with subsidiary protection as a complex support activity. We believe that harmonising the different support activities and implementing them in a flexible operational framework is crucial thus we elaborated a complex social service system that uses the tools and techniques of social work in its different activities.

Our individual casework and social counselling focus on the individual needs and problems of the service users we help. We provide intercultural mediation between refugees and authorities, employers, flat owners and utility companies in order to prevent or manage intercultural or language conflicts. We also provide legal counselling to refugees and beneficiaries of subsidiary protection

Our Budapest-based community programs offer opportunities for refugees and people with subsidiary protection to liaise with others who are in similar situation in order to develop personal relationships and share experiences with each other. These programs desire to help the participants gaining new skills in order to better represent their communities.

We also offer several educational programs in order to foster the acquaintance of children and students with migrant background with Hungarian customs and language (writing, reading, and talking) with the aim of helping their school integration.

Our social workers and intercultural mediators visit the reception facilities in Bicske and Vámosszabadi on a weekly basis where they provide social counselling and organize group activities for children and adults as well.