Share with shortlink: bit.ly/confusedvolunteers Last update: 11 June 2016

Volunteer Work after EU-Turkey Deal

This document is a continually updated overview of volunteer opportunities with refugees.

The focus was initially Lesvos, but spread to the Greece mainland. Additional opportunities beyond Greece are also posted here.

**If you’re checking back and want to see what’s new since you last looked, click “See new changes” to the right of “Help” in the top menu bar (only visible on a computer, not on mobile).**

Who is this group for?

Confused Volunteers is for people who have booked/were planning to book to go to Lesvos in the next few weeks, and are now unsure what to do post the EU-Turkey deal which involved clearing the islands of refugees.

Disclaimer

We are not experts and we are not on the ground in Greece or elsewhere. Like you, we are confused by what’s going on and are doing our best to collate information. Any decisions you make are entirely your own and we suggest doing your own research before changing or making travel plans. We will keep updating the file.

Legalities

LESVOS

police registration for groups and individual volunteers is required. Fill out forms by email before you arrive, or at the Ministry of the Aegean in person: http://www.ypai.gr/site/home/Basic+Menu/Volunteer_registration_forms.csp

MAINLAND

police registration is preferred, and you may need it to enter government-run camps.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B93aaV0tX2RISVNudXI5SFcyNkE/view

Maps

Mainland Greece camps (for easy searching)

www.bit.ly/greecemainlandcamps

2. Full daily data (number of people at each camp, etc) in Greece

www.bit.ly/greecemap.

Additionally, www.bit.ly/RefugeesGRenglishmap shows volunteer needs. http://www.unhcr.gr/sites shows camps with daily data.

Lesvos only, for volunteers

www.bit.ly/lesvolmap

Idomeni/Thessaloniki area camps and resources

www.bit.ly/idomenivolunteermap

Support a refugee one-to one

https://www.humanwire.org/

If you're volunteering in Greece, this is a means of getting all types of support (food, medical care etc) whilst making it tangible to the supporters. The one-to-one(/family) approach has the aim to bridge culture gaps.

FAQs

I’ve booked my flight to Lesvos already and can’t cancel it (the whole thing or a leg), should I still go?

Yes! Although few boats are arriving (for the time being!), help is still required on Lesvos (see Lesvos section below). Furthermore, we don’t know how things are going to change, so refugees could start arriving again. At the worse, you can get a ferry to Athens or Turkey from Mytilene and volunteer from there.

I’ve booked (for example) a return ticket London to Lesvos via Athens, but I want to stay in Athens. Can I just walk out of the airport in Athens and then catch my flight home from there?

If you do this, the entirety of your return flight will be cancelled, and you will have to buy a new one. Ring the airline before you fly and see if you can cancel a leg. If the fees are too much, it might be worth trying in Athens airport during your stopover where the airport staff are more helpful than the telephone staff. At worse, catch the overnight ferry from Mytilene which is where you land on Lesvos anyway - you can book on the day at the bus station near where the airport bus drops you off.

I’ve booked my flight to Lesvos, but can cancel the leg of my trip between Athens and Mytilene, should I do it?

Not yet! It is best to be flexible and keep an eye on the situation until the last possible minute before cancelling (or booking) anything.

I want to come and volunteer on Lesvos, but haven’t booked anything, should I?

If you want! Help is still needed, but make sure you are aware of the work you will be doing. Some volunteers have recommended buying a flight to Athens if you really want to book in advance, and then booking connecting flights/ferries to Turkey, the islands or northern Greece at the last moment depending on political changes and need.

Lesvos

Help is still needed on Lesvos!

All information is maintained at www.bit.ly/voldoc (general info on groups working there) and www.lesvol.info (specific tasks/people needed, updated regularly).

Other islands

We are collating all volunteering opportunities on the Greek mainland and islands into this site:

Greecevol.info

Chios

Chios Refugees Volunteer Collaboration

Chios Eastern Shore Response Team

information document for volunteering on Chios. Includes contacts.

A Drop In The Ocean

A Drop In The Ocean is desperate for volunteers at the moment, to help package and distribute the food to the refugees at 2 camps (as well as doing all the fun stuff like playing with the kids, and card games with the adults). We are a small, fun, tight-knit bunch from all around the the world at the moment, but some extra help would be so much appreciated as a few of us are unfortunately moving on over the next few weeks.

Samos

Samos Volunteers

Long-term volunteers

We understand by long-term volunteer someone that can stay for minimum three weeks and can get involved full time in our activities that currently are:

- Sorting donations at our warehouse (mainly clothes, shoes and sanitary items)

- Preparing specific items for restocking the distribution cabin in the camp...

- Transportation (if you have a driving license and/or the possibility to rent a car)

- Distribution at the camp (also involves restocking, tidying/cleaning the cabin, managing the line of people at the entry, responding quickly to different situations that might occur during our schedule inside the camp)

- Activities with other groups and NGO’s

What we expect from you:

- Diligence in the way of sorting items following a system already in place

- Flexibility into changing tasks on a short notice giving different events that might occur

- Team oriented attitude

- Coordinating a group of local people that are promptly helping with sorting (once you have enough experience)

- Collaborating effectively with different actors active in the camp

- Assertive and respectful attitude with the refugees at the camp

- Be flexible to work according to the needs, even if that means occasionally working for long periods of time

* Please, bear in mind that the situation can change from one day to another therefore the tasks you will be required to do can also vary

**Working in a camp requires a special permission from the Greek Authorities therefore only long term volunteers can be eligible to access

*** Working inside a closed camp is challenging in many ways so volunteers will be thoroughly assessed before deciding if they can or cannot work in this kind of environment

Short-term volunteers

We understand by short-term volunteer someone that can stay for one to three weeks and can get involved with our current activities outside of the camp:

- Sorting donations at our warehouse (mainly clothes, shoes and sanitary items)

- Preparing specific items for restocking the distribution cabin in the camp

- Transportation (if you have a driving license and/or the possibility to rent a car)

- Other activities that might come up

What we expect from you:

- Diligence in the way of sorting items following a system already in place

- Flexibility into changing tasks on a short notice giving the different events that might occur

- Team oriented attitude

- Coordinating a group of local people that are promptly helping with sorting (once you have enough experience)

* Please, bear in mind that the situation can change from one day to another, therefore the tasks you will be required to do can also vary

For any further information please contact the facebook group "Samos Volunteers"

Thank you.

Mainland Greece

ALL KNOWN VOLUNTEER NEEDS IN GREECE ARE NOW LOCATED AT

Greecevol.info

Please join the group Greece Mainland Information Point also

https://www.facebook.com/groups/289026728095066/?hc_location=ufi

See this document bit.ly/greecemainlandinfodoc for an overview of some of the camps. There is also information at http://bit.lyGreekCampReport. Please read alongside the other document for a fuller picture.

Italy

Refugees regulary arrive on the Italian coast and in the main Sicilian ports of Augusta, Trapani, Pozzallo, Messina and Palermo.

https://strugglesinitaly.wordpress.com/equality/en-immigrants-detention-centers-in-italy/

Scroll down on this page to view detention centres in Italy

See this article on how to help refugees if you live in Italy

www.mediciperidirittiumani.com

At the moment the project which can involve volunteers is Camper per i Diritti. This is a mobile clinic which provides primary health assistance to vulnerable populations in Rome and Florence. Volunteers (doctors or operators) run the activity. Doctors see patients on the clinic while operators collect data for monitoring purposes and give advice on social, health and legal services in the 2 cities.

Please see more details on this page http://www.mediciperidirittiumani.org/en/camper-per-i-diritti-rome/

There is another project where volunteers contribute in Rome but at the moment we are rescheduling roles and activities. The project is Psychè Center, this is a center for psychological support to victims of torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment. Please see more info here http://www.mediciperidirittiumani.org/en/medu-psyche-center/

Turkey

Information Point for Turkey Volunteers

Please join this Facebook group. There is an info document in the pinned post, listing major groups working.

Refugee Support Volunteer Info Turkey

Please join this group if you would like more information on volunteering in Turkey, a short ferry trip away from Lesvos.

Medvint

https://www.facebook.com/MedVint/?fref=ts

WANTED

Female medical volunteer (Medical Doctor, Nurse, Midwife, Paramedic) for our operation in Western Turkey for July 2016 (minimum stay 1 week)

Please register here: www.medvint.org/volunteering

Financial support for medicine and medical equipment

Artı 1 İnsani Yardım / Plus 1 Humanitarian Aid is looking for volunteers. They are Turkish, but speak English and have been involved in helping people in Istanbul for a long time. They usually meet on Sundays (this week, they will meet at noon on the 27th) and distribute aid to families. Please contact them and they will pin their meet-point location to you or you can find it on the map on Information Point for Turkey Volunteers. Besides volunteers, they need donations for their depot. A list, and an easy “how to contribute” video is on the Information Point for Turkey Volunteers http://bit.ly/turkeyvolunteerdoc document or contact Sevim Kar for more info.

http://www.turkeyvolunteers.org/

This group are always posting asking for volunteers to help them.

“Because”: Instanbul & Turkey refugee connections for volunteer teams

Ferries from Lesvos to Turkey

Ferries go from Lesvos to Ayvalik in Turkey - cost is 20 Euros one way/30 return for foot passengers.

See winter timetable here: http://ferries-turkey.com/popup-timetable/ayvalik-lesbos-winter.html

France

Calais & Dunkirk

March 28: DUNKIRK: Utopia 56 desperately need volunteers to take down tarp extensions and replace them with wooden porches, and to paint the shelters with fire resistant paint. “So if you are the practical type, please register here http://www.utopia56.com/en/ or go to the site and report to the green shipping container.”

Care 4 Calais - Calais Volunteers

https://www.facebook.com/calaisvolunteers/?fref=ts

Volunteering in Calais

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1717554051812163/?fref=ts

Dunkirk Refugee Solidarity

https://www.facebook.com/groups/635003316641230/?fref=ts

Dunkirk Refugee Camp Dunkirk needs Volunteers

https://www.facebook.com/refugeecampdunkirkneedsvolunteersnow/?fref=ts

Liftshare - Calais and Dunkirk Refugee camps

https://www.facebook.com/groups/152779071748953/?fref=ts

CalAid

Warehouse in Slough nr London (England)

https://www.facebook.com/JoinCalAid/?fref=ts

http://calaid.co.uk/

Bulgaria

It is very hard (or impossible) to help 'hands on' in Bulgaria but there is a need of people to be present in the border areas to see what is going on there. Also they have refugees that need a lot of help in their asylum process since language skills here are sometimes non existent (only Bulgarian or Russian at migration office and such places).

Contact refvarn@gmail.com for the most up-to-date information.

Harmanli Refugee Camp

https://www.facebook.com/groups/HarmanliRefugeeCampPlaySchool/

The women who run this playschool would be good contacts for anyone wanting to volunteer or help out in Bulgaria. They are currently requesting underwear.

Refugees Welcome in Eastern Bulgaria (Varna) also has a lot of information

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1014325208612823/?ref=ts&fref=ts

This group is in Bulgarian. Use translate software. Very up-to-date.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/585850168115019/

Serbia

Refugee Aid Serbia is now serving a warm evening meal to refugees in the Belgrade parks every evening 18-20:30 from the Info Park hut. And they need help. Rumours of 8000 refugees. Whoever can volunteer to help with distribution and informing refugees should send email at RAS@gmail.com

I’m Human Organisation

As the situation and conditions on the Serbian-Hungarian border is difficult again and many people been waiting there, missing a lot of Aid and information, being victims to traffickers and road smugglers. iHo team will be back this month all the way fromI south to the north bringing Food/Clothes/Communications tools and information to the people in the city of Subotica.

we will need volunteers by the beginning of this mission on 18th of this month (June), if you would like to join our team, please send us mail to info@iHo.org.uk

for donations , you can always contribute and participate by donating to:

JA SAM COVEK ORGANIZATION

RS35265100000016247454 (IBAN)

RZBSRSBG (BIC)

Lebanon

Volunteering Lebanon

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1678012335777763/

Hope - Bekaa Valley, Lebanon

https://www.facebook.com/hopebekaavalley/

Hope is the English education arm of Triumphant Mercy, providing a dynamic and safe learning environment for Syrian refugees in Lebanon.

Salam LADC

https://www.facebook.com/salam.ladc/

Jordan

https://sktwelfare.org/about-us/ -- recommended by Jebus Jones; currently (April 1) waiting on some confirmation of their work

https://www.facebook.com/HelpUsHelpSyrianRefugeesInJordan/

Macedonia

According to the media reports, there are no more refugees in no man’s land between Macedonia and Serbia. All of 237 refugees, who were stranded for three weeks, are now in camps #Tabanovce or ‪#‎Gevgelija‬. Nevertheless, Tabanovce camp is overcrowded and conditions are very poor. It is also surrounded by the 3m high wire. Officially, the wire is put in order to secure refugees and people who are living around the camp.

Volunteering from home

See the doc www.bit.ly/helprefugeesfromhome for some ideas. Some work is directly supporting groups in Greece. Other work is with local organizations.