Greek Forum of Refugees

EU Legislative Interests

The Greek Forum of Refugees focuses on EU legislation and policies that directly affect refugees, migrants and people affected by statelessness, especially in the fields of asylum, migration, integration, anti-racism and participation. We follow and contribute to debates on the reform of the Common European Asylum System and the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum, including the Asylum and Migration Management Regulation, and the Asylum Procedures and Screening Regulations. We also engage on EU return policies (Return Directive and related proposals for a Return Regulation), reception conditions, family reunification and legal pathways, always bringing the perspective of people with lived experience. At the same time, we target EU integration and inclusion policies such as the Action Plan on Integration and Inclusion, the EU Anti-Racism Action Plan, as well as initiatives on gender equality, combating gender-based violence and promoting social inclusion. As a refugee-led organisation, we are also involved in EU policies on civic space, democratic participation and fundamental rights, including work linked to the Charter of Fundamental Rights, the European Democracy Action Plan and the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) programme. We advocate for meaningful participation of refugee- and migrant-led organisations in EU decision-making and in the design, implementation and monitoring of EU funds such as AMIF, ESF+, erasmus+, HORIZON and CERV. Through the European Migration Forum, expert groups and project-based cooperation, we bring community-based evidence, recommendations and testimonies into EU legislative and policy processes, with a focus on rights, accountability and inclusive, democratic societies.

Communication Activities

The Greek Forum of Refugees uses communication and public engagement to connect EU policies with the realities of people on the move. We organise and co-organise public events, workshops and online briefings on key EU files (e.g. the Pact on Migration and Asylum, return policies, integration and anti-racism strategies), often together with European networks and partners. These include community consultations, roundtables, and briefings aimed both at refugee/migrant communities and at EU/national stakeholders. Through our Self-Advocacy Team (SAT) and the Democracy4All initiative, we run awareness-raising and civic education activities on rights, participation and EU decision-making, including sessions on EU elections, local and European democracy, and the impact of EU funds on integration and inclusion. We use these spaces to collect testimonies and recommendations from people with lived experience and channel them to EU institutions. We communicate regularly via our website, newsletters and social media, sharing statements, campaign messages and updates on EU policy developments in accessible language. Within our EU-funded projects (AMIF, CERV, Erasmus+ and others) we produce reports, policy briefs, videos and toolkits that translate grassroots evidence into concrete messages for EU and national decision-makers. We also contribute to consultations, position papers and joint advocacy with European civil society coalitions, ensuring that refugee- and migrant-led perspectives are visible in debates on asylum, migration, integration and fundamental rights.

Interests Represented

Does not represent commercial interests

Member Of

The Greek Forum of Refugees is an active member of several national and European networks, including: • European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE), a pan-European alliance promoting the rights of refugees and asylum seekers. • Platform for International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants (PICUM), working for the rights and dignity of undocumented people. • European Civic Forum (ECF), a network defending civic space and civil society participation in Europe. • International Detention Coalition (IDC), a global network challenging immigration detention and promoting rights-based alternatives. • Greek Network for the Right to Housing, a national platform advocating for access to adequate housing and protection from homelessness. • Greek Network for Recording Racist Incidents (RVRN), a coalition monitoring, documenting and combating racist violence and hate crimes. We also cooperate closely with other refugee- and migrant-led organisations and civil society platforms at local, national and EU level, in particular through joint advocacy, campaigns and project partnerships.

Organisation Members

The Greek Forum of Refugees (GFR) is composed of refugee and migrant communities, individual members and affiliated initiatives. Our membership is built “from refugees, with refugees, for refugees”, bringing together communities with shared language, origin or legal status to organise collectively and speak with one voice. Community organisations with a legal entity (full members): – Congolese Community of Greece – Community of Afghan Refugees and Migrants in Greece – Ivorian Community in Greece – Community of Guinea in Greece – Cameroonian community – OPORA: Ukrainian Refugees Group refugees.gr Non-formal / in the process of legalisation (represented through individual GFR members): – Congo Brazzaville community – Burundian community – Ugandan community – Somali community – Chinese Association for Human Rights and Religious Freedom communities refugees.gr In addition, GFR includes individual refugee and migrant members, professionals and volunteers who support our work, for data protection reasons they are not listed by name here. GFR also hosts and coordinates affiliated initiatives such as our Self-Advocacy Team (SAT), the Democracy4All platform on political participation, HARTS (Hands-on Refugees’ Talent & Sustainability), Food4All and the “Giving Back to Homelands” initiative. A description of our member communities and structure is available on our website: https://refugees.gr/about-us/