The discussion around the new EU Pact on Migration and Asylum is taking place against an already difficult backdrop:
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- Human rights violations at borders
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- Inhumane conditions in reception centres
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- People living with uncertainty about their lives and their children’s future
The question is what can meaningfully change in their everyday lives.
This is why the information session held on 15 September at Athens City Hall was particularly important to us at the Greek Forum of Refugees. Organised by the Athens Coordination Center for Migrant and Refugee Issues (ACCMR) in cooperation with UNHCR, which delivered the presentation, the event brought the discussion directly to the municipal level.
We believe that decentralising migration and integration services, giving municipalities the authority and resources they need, is essential for delivering support that actually reaches people. Local authorities can work more closely with communities, listen to their needs and organise the support they require.
We particularly welcomed the presence and contribution of the Mayor of Athens, Haris Doukas. His remarks on the challenges of the current climate and the need to challenge populist rhetoric touched on an issue that directly affects how we live together in our neighbourhoods.
Thank you to the organisers for the invitation and the information shared. Let’s build on this discussion through active participation and cooperation, with refugee and migrant communities involved every step of the way.
