Information and pressure centre for the integration of refugees and hosted

Project duration
2004
Supporter
ERF, UNHCR

Period of the project: 1. Oktober 2004- 1. November 2005The program, which was born through the support of the ERF ( 15.247.000 HUF) and the UNHCR (6.240.000) lasted from 1. October 2004 to 1. November 2005. In the frame of the project we made an integration programme for refugees in Budapest. We rent a service department in the Rákóczi street 12, and we furnished this with computers, printers, etc. The target audience was the refugees and the hosted and the activities which could help the integration separated in two big groups. The refugees who had some problems in their everyday life, could look up our service department in due time.

Social work:
The main point of the programme was the social help for the refugees which happened through personal consultations. In the service department there were two social workers who waited with the customers for 8 hours per day. The refugees could use this service by their own and it was absolutely free. This service was used by 465 customers.

Website:
We made a Hungarian and an English database where the refugees, the hosted, and the migrants can easily get objective information. The visitors can get a realistic view of the situation of the refugees if they visit our website. This website is:  "http://www.menedek.hu"www.menedek.hu, which consist of many interesting themes: Who is a refugee?, Education, Finding workpalces, Finding home places, Data, The History of the Menedék Association, Status, Other organizations dealing with refugees, etc.

Media-collection.
We established a documentary archive which consists of some materials about the refugees, the runaways, the international defense, and about the minorities. The database has films and books which can be lent out. The reason for this is that people who are interested in the theme of refugees get real information about their situation and we want to stop the incorrect information that creates stereotypes.

Making an internet corner:
Our customers who visit the service department have the opportunity to use the internet because it is really useful to keep in constant contact with their friends and families and they can also search for jobs. Their computer studies can improve whilst they use the internet. Around 300 customers use this service in our office.

Media-campaign:
To improve the lifestyle of the refugees, it is absolutely indispensable to make campaign against the discrimination and xenophobia. These campaigns have a positive effect on the views of the population. That’s why we made some commercials which consist of several elements: We had 3 society-oriented commercial in the „Pestiest” newspaper in 11, 12, 13 issues, and also we had free cards (40.000) which were established all over Hungary.
In the case of the World Refugee Day we had 75 big bills which could be seen for 3 months.
The bills of the streets could reach around 60.000 people and the free cards could achieve 40.000 people.

Searching for a shelter:
This is the international newsletter of the Menedék Association for migrants, which has existed for 10 years. The outcome is 13 brochures per month (every brochure is 8 pages) and they were sent to 400 addresses for free.

Feedback:
Most of our customers are satisfied or very satisfied with the location of our service department, with the opening hours, with the waiting time, with the treatment of the customers and the preparedness of the social workers.
The services they wished to learn more about were the computers and the Hungarian language training courses.
They said that most of their problems can be solved here and they are really satisfied with the social services and with the social workers.
In the media, the interest levels of people regarding refugees is always rising and this is because of the achievement of our commercials.