Be Attractive, Don’t Be Addicted ( Youth Exchange )

Publication Date: June 2022

Addiction is the physical or psychological need for any substance (object). Although there are many types of addiction in the world, they are basically the same. People tend to turn to pleasurable things to get rid of negative emotions. Alcohol, cigarette, drugs, and technology addiction are the most important factors that trigger this sense of pleasure. Among these factors, substance addiction is the most common in the world. In addition, substance addiction is classified as a disease by the World Health Organization.

The project will be implemented in 2 parts. In the first mobility to be held in France, the participants will learn the definition of substance addiction, the psychology of the addict, the effects of addiction on life and its consequences. Participants will get an idea about how to prevent addiction in the mobility to be held in Turkey. They will understand the seriousness of the situation during the trip to the addiction rehabilitation centre and brainstorm with former addicts.

Objectives;

• Providing information exchange among the participants about common substance addiction
• Understanding the impact of substance addiction on youth psychology
• Raising awareness of young people with the experiences of former substance addicts
• To encourage young people to participate in sports and art activities and to eliminate substance addiction.
• Showing the effect of family and friends on substance addiction,
• Finding the basis of addiction, discovering the reasons for addictive substance use and producing solutions,
• To enable young people to get to know and learn about different cultures and to strengthen the sense of mutual
  understanding among young people
• Minimizing any prejudice and discrimination against addicted people
• Foster intercultural dialogue and learning and feeling of being European;
• Develop skills and attitudes of young people;
• Strengthen European values and break down prejudices and stereotypes;
• Raise awareness about socially relevant topics and thus stimulate engagement in society and active participation.
• Supporting the participation of disadvantaged people The priorities of the Erasmus + Program and the priority goals of our project match exactly.

Self sufficient , me! ( Youth Exchange )

Publication Date: July 2022

The COB eco-project is a permaculture farm and an intentional community that is specialized in natural building, regenerative farming and alternative technologies.
The COB eco-project is a social cooperative of sustainable development which primarily started as an educational project to spread the know-how, the philosophy, theory and practice of natural building and bioclimatic architecture guided by the safe and sustainable management of resources and energy. Our organization has been active in the field of youth and adult education for more than seventeen years. It has developed its own training methods, workshops, and courses and has organized multiple educational activities on sustainability and ecology.

Workshops for young people run here frequently and every year more and more long-term volunteers are following their intuitive learning path through the practical exploration and implementation of techniques and practices like cob eco building, permaculture design, natural farming, agroforestry, healthy nutrition, zero waste lifestyle, renewable energy solutions, nonviolent communication and group decision making techniques like sociocracy. Moreover, our farm acts as a hub that connects young people with other projects in Greece and abroad, to support them in following their intuitive learning path and deepen their knowledge in their topic of interest and to strengthen the community of eco-projects throughout Greece and all Europe.

Activities

Natural Building: Participants will be learning different natural and bioclimatic designing and building methods and techniques and we will build a small community wooden oven using mud and straw!

Regenerative farming: Participants will learn the principles and practices of ecological farming methods that produce abundance of food and regenerate the landscape. We will be learning in theory and through hands-on experience how to create edible urban and rural forests and sustainable gardens.

Natural cosmetics: Participants will create a wide range of cosmetics that are eco-logical but also healthy for our body, like natural soaps, toothpastes, wax creams, ointments, and many more!

Low footprint cooking devices: Participants will be introduced to and learn how to design as well as all the practicalities of solar ovens, wood ovens, Dutch ovens, rocket stoves and more!

Food processing and preservation structures: Participants will be having an on-spot experience of the infrastructure and use of solar food dryers, smokehouses, and cellars.

Stepping Beyond Tents: Launch Summary

Publication Date: October 2024

Summary
Led by CIFIR (France), in partnership with Backslash (Spain) and Old School Green (Antalya, Türkiye), this 16-month Erasmus+ project will produce a concise five-point guide aimed at youth organisations and decision-makers to enhance the safety and inclusion of young refugees. The project involves targeted research, co-creation, and a validation seminar.

Project Purpose
Stepping Beyond Tents transforms field experience into a 40-page practical guide. The document is designed for youth workers, NGOs, and policymakers seeking clear, transferable, and actionable measures applicable to local programmes and policy discussions.

Partners

• CIFIR (France): Coordination, monitoring, research design, and dissemination.

• Backslash (Spain): Leads the writing process and hosts the learning seminar in Spain.

• Old School Green (Antalya, Türkiye): Supports implementation and strengthens practical transfer.

Timeline and Budget

• Duration: 1 May 2024 – 31 August 2025 (16 months)

• Grant: €60,000 (total amount)

• Action Type: Erasmus+ Small-Scale Partnerships in the Youth Field (KA210)

Why It Matters
Recurring needs in the youth sector are evident: safer environments, clearer guidance pathways, and more inclusive access to education and social participation for young refugees. This project bridges the practice–research–policy gap and documents practical steps that institutions can adopt without requiring major additional resources.

How It Works
The project is structured into four work packages:

• Management & Quality: Overall coordination, risk management, and reporting.

• Data Collection: Literature review, two online surveys, and two focus groups. The target audience comprises frontline professionals (youth workers, educators, social workers, NGOs) and young refugees. At least 90 responses are expected within three months.

• Guide Development: Led by Backslash, with contributions from experts in France, Spain, and Türkiye. The five-point framework will include checklists, examples, and key monitoring indicators.

• Validation & Transfer: Testing the draft with practitioners and shaping a short, ready-to-use implementation kit.

Key Milestone in Spain
A five-day seminar held in Spain brought together participants from all three countries to present, test, and refine the draft guide. The planned format included four participants and two trainers per country, with daily evaluation sessions and a final assessment. The seminar took place from 14–19 June, and its outcomes will be shared in a forthcoming article in this series.

Measuring Results
Evaluation tools cover every stage of the process: short feedback forms attached to surveys and focus groups, daily seminar reviews, a final learning questionnaire, and partners’ monitoring reports. Around 50 stakeholders including policy actors, NGOs, and refugee representatives  will review the guide for clarity, applicability, and relevance.

Dissemination Channels
The final guide and accompanying materials will be published on the partners’ websites and shared across European youth and education platforms to ensure open access for practitioners.

Next in the Series
Upcoming articles will explore the research approach, findings from professionals and young refugees, the development of the five-point framework, a day-by-day overview of the Spanish seminar, and a practical mini-set for institutions wishing to implement the guide’s recommendations

Research that sets the groundwork: we’re starting to listen, systematically

Publication date: 2024/10/09

We are launching the project’s field-listening phase: two online focus groups (one with refugees, one with professionals who work with refugees) plus two short surveys and a literature scan. The goal is to collect solid, comparable evidence that will feed a five-point guideline for safer, more inclusive youth policies.

What this phase includes

Two online focus groups — one with refugees, one with frontline professionals (youth workers, social workers, NGO staff, lawyers, educators, healthcare). Each session runs 60–90 minutes, moderated, with structured questions on barriers, service access, and workable solutions.

Two short surveys — 15–20 questions each, one for professionals (≥50 responses target) and one for refugees (≥40 responses target).

Desk research — a quick review of current reports and studies to frame the questions and benchmark findings.

This mixed-methods package was planned from the start to ensure that practice, research and policy stay connected.

Why we’re doing it now

The application set an online research window in September–November 2024. With management and coordination running across the full project period, we are using this spring window to complete listening activities ahead of the Spain seminar and the drafting milestones of the guideline.

Who we will talk to

Refugees (10–12 people in one online group): diverse in age, gender and country of origin; focus on lived experience with language, paperwork, education, healthcare, employment and daily life.

Professionals (10–12 people in one online group): those assisting refugee youth directly; focus on what blocks access, what already works, and where coordination fails.

The broader survey targets ensure we pass the ≥90 responses in three months threshold set for the project’s evidence base.

How the conversations will run

Each focus group follows the same structure:

Introduction & ground rules (confidentiality, respectful turn-taking)

Core questions on challenges, access to services, discrimination, coping strategies, effective practices, and policy fixes

Wrap-up with key takeaways and last inputs
Sessions take place on Zoom/Teams/Meet, are facilitated by a moderator, and last 1–1.5 hours.

Ethical safeguards

Informed consent collected digitally before participation.

Anonymisation of all contributions in notes and reports; screenshots or recordings are only taken/used with explicit consent and stored securely; when published, findings are aggregated.

Participants may keep cameras off and can withdraw at any time without explanation.

How we will use the data

Findings from surveys and focus groups will feed the five-point guideline (~40 pages) and the practical mini-kit for organisations. The Spain seminar will then present, test and refine these outputs with practitioners from all three countries.

Quality assurance and evaluation

We will collect short feedback at the end of each survey and each focus group, run daily evaluations during the Spain seminar, and close with a final learning survey. A stakeholder group of ~50 people (policy actors, NGOs, refugee representatives) will review the draft guideline for clarity and feasibility before publication.

Roles and coordination

CIFIR (France): leads management, monitoring and the data-collection work package; develops evaluation and visibility tools.

Backslash (Spain): leads the guideline drafting and hosts the Spain seminar that validates the outputs.

Old School Green (Antalya, Turkey): partner for practical transfer and implementation activities. (Note: in this articles we refer to the Turkish partner under this name and location, articles have been edited after the partner change.

What participants told us: key findings from the field

Publication Date: 2024/12/12

Summary: We report the main insights gathered in the refugee focus group held online, complemented by the project’s planned research framework. The evidence will feed into the five-point guideline and the practical mini-kit for organisations.

Who took part and how we listened

Format: moderated online discussion, 60–90 minutes, with ground rules on confidentiality and respectful turn-taking.

Participants: 11 refugees currently living in Turkey, with varied language proficiency and a wide mix of origins (Iraq, Syria, Palestine, Egypt, Iran, Russia, Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan). Some chose cameras off; all contributions were anonymised.

Purpose: document barriers, service access, working solutions, and policy ideas; complement the project’s surveys and literature scan under Work Package 2.

What came up most often

1) Language as a systemic barrier

Language was the most cited obstacle. It affects healthcare interactions, public services, and job access. Administrative language in forms and appointments remains difficult even for those with everyday Turkish.

 “I am thankful for the opportunity to express our concerns. I hope more people can hear us.” — participant, Iraq.

Implication for the guideline: embed a minimum standard for language access (interpreting/translation at key service points; fast-track signposting to courses).

2) Mental health support is scarce

Participants described limited access to culturally aware counselling, with women and young people most affected. Safe, language-appropriate services are uneven and hard to find.

 “This was the first time I felt listened to since arriving.” — participant, Egypt.

Implication: promote low-threshold psychosocial options in community settings; add referral checklists to help youth workers move beyond ad-hoc signposting.

3) Administration and legal procedures are complex

Refugees reported inconsistent practices and bureaucratic obstacles when seeking documents, permits or services. Experiences vary significantly by locality.

Implication: call for simplified, predictable procedures and standardised information packs in multiple languages; add a “what to expect” step-by-step for first contact with institutions.

4) Schools, training and recognition

Beyond access to education, participants highlighted recognition of prior learning and qualifications as a key bottleneck to jobs and stability. Certified vocational training was seen as a realistic bridge to employment.

Implication: propose local protocols for fast-track recognition and links between language courses and vocational pathways.

5) The role of NGOs and municipalities

NGOs were valued for accessibility and a less bureaucratic approach. Municipal centres that offer courses and safe spaces were cited as helpful. Participants asked for stronger, regular cooperation between grassroots NGOs and local authorities.

Implication: recommend formal NGO–municipality coordination (shared calendars, referral forms, contact points) so support does not depend on personal networks.

6) Discrimination and social exclusion

Several participants reported subtle discrimination in public offices and exclusion in education. Young people described isolation and reliance on online communities for support.

Implication: include anti-discrimination protocols for front-line services and peer-support models for refugee youth.

What participants said would help

Interpreter support at public offices and in frontline services, as an institutionalised provision, not a case-by-case favour.

Simpler procedures for residence and work permits, with transparent steps and timelines.

Recognition of qualifications earned before displacement; more certified vocational training options linked to local labour needs.

Targeted programmes for women and youth-friendly spaces that mix language learning, psychosocial support and mentoring.

Refugee representation in local advisory councils and consultation bodies.

Short testimonials underline the tone of the discussion: “Sharing helps,” “I feel stronger now,” “Thank you for making a space where we are respected.”

How these inputs feed the project outputs

The findings become requirements in the five-point guideline (language access, mental-health pathways, recognition/skills, local coordination, anti-discrimination).

They inform a practical mini-kit with checklists, templates (e.g., referral form, first-appointment script), and basic indicators for monitoring.

They shape the agenda and case work used to test and refine the guideline with practitioners from the partner countries.

Next steps

A complementary focus group with professionals who work with refugees is being consolidated to document access barriers from the service side, working practices that scale, and coordination gaps. Results from both groups will be merged into the public guideline (~40 pages) for youth organisations and policy makers.

Method note (for transparency)

The approach follows the project’s research plan: two short surveys, two focus groups (refugees; professionals), and a desk scan. Sessions are moderated, last 60–90 minutes, and follow a standard guide covering challenges, service access, effective practices and policy fixes. Participation is voluntary; consent and anonymisation are ensured.

Methodology focus groups

Editorial note: To protect participant privacy and ensure comparability across countries, this article reports themes and anonymised quotes.

From research to action: drafting of the guideline begins

Publicaiton Date: 2024/12/12

Summary: We’re starting the co-creation of the project’s practical guideline  a concise, five-point tool for organisations and decision-makers working with refugee youth.

What we’re doing now

The partners  CIFIR (coordination), Backslash (drafting lead) and Old School Green, Antalya (practice transfer)  are moving from evidence to structure. Using the inputs gathered so far, we’re outlining the five pillars, drafting checklists and templates, and setting up a simple monitoring frame so the measures can be used in real programmes.

How we’ll build it

Co-creation: short, iterative drafting cycles with expert feedback from France, Spain and Turkey.

Practical focus: plain language, ready-to-use tools (referral form, first-contact script, minimum standards for access and inclusion).

Validation path: the draft will be tested with practitioners before we sign off the final version.

How you can help

If your organisation works with refugee youth and you’d like to review early sections or share tools that already work for you, get in touch. Short, concrete examples are especially useful.

The guideline is out: a five-point tool built from what people told us

Publication Date: 2024/12/13

From language access to local coordination, the new guideline turns field evidence into practical measures for organisations and decision-makers working with refugee youth.

What’s inside

The guideline condenses the project’s research into five pillars that organisations can apply immediately: language access, mental-health support, legal and administrative pathways, fair access to learning and work, and local coordination to reduce duplication and gaps. These pillars mirror the literature scan and the mixed-methods evidence base focused on integration, mental health, legal status and employment, with particular attention to the Syrian (2015) and Ukrainian (2022) displacement contexts.

How the research shaped it

Language & information barriers were the most cited obstacles in healthcare, public services and job access. The guideline sets a minimum standard for language support at first-contact points and includes a simple script for frontline staff.

Psychosocial support is uneven and hard to reach. We included low-threshold options in community settings and clear referral steps youth workers can use without clinical training.

Administrative complexity slows access to rights. The guide provides step-by-step “what to expect” for common procedures and recommends standardised information packs in multiple languages.

Learning, skills and jobs: the research highlights credential recognition and vocational pathways as realistic bridges to employment. The guide links language learning to vocational routes and suggests quick checks for prior learning.

Who needs to work together: participants valued NGOs for accessibility and asked for regular NGO municipality cooperation. We propose shared contact points, a basic referral form, and a monthly coordination rhythm.

What the numbers told us

Across the surveys, both professionals and refugees converged on the same pressure points: employment and legal status on one side, language and discrimination on the other. Professionals most often identified employment (66%) and legal status (53%) as top challenges; refugees pointed to employment (79%) and language barriers (66%), with discrimination reported by 65%, especially in work and housing. These data informed the indicator set and the order of measures in the guide.

What you can use today

Checklists for first contact, language support, and psychosocial signposting.

Templates: a one-page referral form; a short “rights & services” handout adaptable locally.

 Light indicators to track whether access is improving (e.g., time to first appointment, interpreter availability at key points).
All tools are designed for youth organisations, municipalities and NGOs and can be adapted without new software or extra staffing.

Who built it

The partners  CIFIR (coordination), Backslash (drafting lead) and Old School Green, Antalya (practice transfer)  translated findings into concrete actions and validation steps with practitioners.

What’s next

We’ll publish a short how-to on applying the five pillars in local programmes, with examples from partners and contributors. If your team already runs tools that solve any of these pain points, share them  we’ll add field-tested practices to the next release.

Stepping Beyond Tents: Five Pillars for Refugee Youth Integration in Local Programs

Publication Date: 2025/02/03

Grassroots NGOs across Europe play a vital role in helping refugee youth move “beyond tents”  beyond immediate shelter toward real integration. The Stepping Beyond Tents framework outlines five pillars of support: Language Access, Psychosocial Support, Legal & Administrative Access, Learning and Employment Pathways, and Local Coordination. In this practical guide, we break down each pillar with concrete examples from EU-funded and community projects, and tips for implementation on a small budget. Short paragraphs and bullet points highlight key practices that even small or mid-sized NGOs can adopt.

Language Access: Opening Doors Through Communication

Language is the gateway to education, jobs, and community life. Helping refugee youth learn the local language  and providing services in languages they understand  is an essential first step. As the Red Cross observes from its programs, “learning the local language is not just about communication. It is about regaining control, rebuilding dignityand taking the first steps toward a future they can shape themselves”. Small NGOs can promote language access through informal classes and volunteer support:

Community Language Classes: Partner with libraries, schools or volunteer teachers to offer free language classes or conversation circles. For example, the Lithuanian Red Cross runs Lithuanian language classes for Ukrainian mothers and children, helping them gain confidence and access better jobs. Even without heavy funding, NGOs can recruit volunteer tutors or use donated classroom space to start weekly lessons.

Peer Language Mentoring: A successful model is the Language Buddy Project (AMIF-funded), which pairs migrant youth (“mentees”) with university student volunteers as language mentors.. Through regular meetups and hands-on language activities, mentors help refugees practice conversation and navigate local culture.

Example: In Malta, Advenio eAcademy and partners launched Language Buddy to connect education students with young refugees for one-on-one language practice and integration support. A small NGO could replicate this by mobilizing local college students or retirees as “language buddies” for refugee teens. This approach costs little (mainly coordination and training time) but greatly expands language access through community mentoring.

Bilingual Support and Materials: Ensure program materials, signs, and forms are translated into the youth’s native languages when possible. Train some bilingual volunteers or staff who can interpret during important meetings (school enrollment, doctor visits, etc.). For critical information, consider using free translation tools or asking volunteer linguists for help. Even simple steps  like having pictorial guides or multilingual cheat-sheets for common phrases  can break down communication barriers. By prioritizing language inclusion, NGOs empower young refugees to participate fully and confidently in their new communities

Psychosocial Support: Healing, Resilience and Community

Refugee youth have often experienced trauma, loss, and prolonged uncertainty. Providing psychosocial support is about tending to mental health, emotional well-being, and social belonging. This pillar can include trauma counseling, peer support groups, creative activities, or mentorship – anything that helps young people cope and thrive. Even with limited resources, NGOs can create safe spaces and link youth to support. Key practices include:

Safe Spaces and Group Activities: Consider forming youth clubs, arts or sports groups where refugee adolescents can rebuild trust, have fun, and express themselves. The EU-funded RefugeesWellSchool project (Horizon 2020) showed how school-based group activities can improve well-being. For instance, their “Welcome to School” program in the Netherlands focuses on boosting refugee youths’ self-esteem, coping skills and social skills.Another example is a nine-week drama workshop where refugee teens collaboratively create and act out stories  a therapeutic process to explore identity and process their migration experiences. A small NGO could run a weekly drama club, art therapy sessions, or music circles with the help of volunteer facilitators or partnering with local art students. Such creative group activities provide an outlet for stress and help youth build friendships in a low-pressure environment.

Peer Support and Mentorship: Encourage initiatives where refugees support each other. In schools, RefugeesWellSchool implemented a peer integration intervention (PIER) clustering refugee and local students in small groups to work on projects and social connection. This strengthened school belonging and dialogue between refugee and host youth. An NGO can mirror this by setting up a “buddy system” teaming refugee youth with local peers or slightly older mentors. For example, some German youth centers train local teens as buddies to help newcomer refugees practice the language and explore the city together. Peer mentorship costs little but yields mutual understanding and a sense of normalcy for refugee youth.

Trauma-Informed Counseling: Whenever possible, link youths to professional mental health services. Advocate with local clinics or university psychology departments to offer pro bono counseling to refugees, or invite counselors to run group workshops on coping skills. Training your staff and volunteers in basic psychosocial first aid and cultural sensitivity is crucial. As one EU guide recommends, establish accessible mental health services, including trauma counseling and support groups tailored to refugees’ experiences, and create safe spaces for emotional expression. Even if your NGO cannot afford a psychologist on staff, you can coordinate with specialist NGOs or hotlines for referrals. The key is to ensure no young person feels alone with their problems. Regular “check-in” meetings, wellness activities like community gardening or yoga, and simply having caring adults to talk to can greatly improve a young refugee’s mental health outlook.

By integrating psychosocial support into programs, NGOs help refugee youth build resilience and hope. A calm mind and supportive community are the foundation for these young people to engage in education, work, and social life.

Legal and Administrative Access: Navigating Paperwork and Rights

Refugee youth often face confusing legal procedures  from asylum claims to residency permits, age assessments, family reunification, or simply registering for school and healthcare. Legal and administrative access means helping young refugees understand and exercise their rights, and cutting through bureaucracy that might hinder their integration. Grassroots organizations, even without lawyers on staff, can play a pivotal role by guiding youth to the right information and services:

Legal Orientation and Clinics: Organize information sessions on legal rights and obligations in the host country. This could be as simple as inviting an asylum lawyer or legal aid organization once a month to answer questions for refugee youths and their families. Some NGOs develop easy-to-read guides on topics like “How to apply for a residence permit” or “Your rights at 18 if you’re an unaccompanied minor.” Providing translated materials and step-by-step checklists empowers young people to navigate systems on their own. For more complex cases, build a referral network with pro bono lawyers or law clinics (many university law faculties run free clinics) so you can quickly connect a youth who needs individual legal help.

Guardianship and Administrative Support: Unaccompanied minors require guardians or custodians   ensure they have access to those and that guardians are well-informed. An example of a structured approach is the My Coming of Age Story (CO.A.ST) project, co-funded by the EU’s AMIF (2024–2026), which works across six countries to strengthen guardianship systems and legal support for unaccompanied children as they approach 18. This project provides training and resources to guardians and legal representatives so they can better navigate asylum procedures and integration steps with the youth. A small NGO can adapt this idea by hosting workshops for foster parents, social workers, or volunteer guardians on topics like youth rights, asylum law updates, or accessing youth services. By improving the knowledge of those helping refugee minors, you indirectly improve each youngster’s access to legal protection.

Cutting Red Tape: Advocate for youth-friendly procedures with local authorities. Simple wins  like getting the local school to accept alternative ID if a refugee lacks certain documents, or coordinating with immigration offices to group appointments for your beneficiaries  can make a big difference. Help youths prepare paperwork for school enrollment, medical registration, or job applications. For instance, have volunteers assist in filling out forms and accompany minors to appointments if there’s a language barrier. Some NGOs establish a weekly “bureaucracy help desk” where refugees can drop in with any letter or form they don’t understand and get help on the spot. By demystifying paperwork and standing alongside the youth in administrative processes, you ensure they don’t miss out on opportunities due to legal hurdles. As one AMIF-funded project in Germany (KIWA) demonstrated, providing guardians and youth workers with up-to-date legal information and practical tools leads to more child-friendly and efficient processing of refugee cases. In short, know the system and help the youth work within it  or sometimes, help them challenge it when their rights are at stake.

Learning and Employment Pathways: Building Futures Through Education and Work

Refugee youth are eager to resume learning and prepare for employment, but they often need extra support to catch up or showcase their talents. Limited language skills, interrupted schooling, or unrecognized diplomas can leave them stuck in limbo. NGOs can act as bridges, connecting young refugees to education, training, and job opportunities that match their potential. Even on a tight budget, there are effective models to guide youth toward a productive future:

Education Continuation and Tutoring: Help school-age refugees enroll in local schools or vocational training. Liaise with education authorities to place each child in an age-appropriate class (even if their academic level is different) and advocate for preparatory or language-support classes when available. For those who missed years of schooling, look for second-chance education programs or free online courses. NGOs can set up homework clubs or find volunteer tutors to assist refugee students with subjects and language after school. For example, an Erasmus+ project in Latvia provided Ukrainian refugee teens with language courses plus cultural workshops and outdoor activities to facilitate school integration (an approach highlighted by the European Commission in 2024). By combining formal education with informal learning and mentoring, small NGOs can help refugee youth thrive academically.

Mentoring for Jobs (The Buddy Approach): Personal mentorship is a powerful way to open employment pathways. A standout example is DUO for a JOB, a Belgian NGO that pairs young immigrants and refugees (18–33 years old) with older professionals (50+ years) in the same field for a six-month mentorship. The mentor helps the mentee with CV-writing, interview prep, networking, and understanding the job market. The results are impressive: since 2013, Duo for a Job has created over 2,600 such duos and helped more than 1,800 young people find a job, internship or training opportunity – a 71% positive outcome rate. Mentees report higher self-confidence and better knowledge of job-seeking tools, while senior mentors feel a renewed sense of purpose. A small NGO can replicate this model on a modest scale by recruiting local retirees and professionals to volunteer as mentors for refugee youth. Provide a bit of training and match each youth with a mentor in their field of interest (for instance, a refugee who aspired to be a mechanic could be paired with a retired engineer or auto-repair expert). This costs little more than staff coordination time and perhaps mentor training materials, but yields highly individualized support for the young person.

Skills Training and Innovation: Tap into existing youth training schemes and adapt them for refugees. Many EU countries have vocational courses or apprenticeships for in demand skills  ensure your beneficiaries know about these and meet the entry requirements. Help them with applications for any available scholarships or stipends. Additionally, social innovation projects are emerging to tailor skill-building to refugees’ needs. For example, the SkillsPath project (supported by the European Social Fund) uses an AI-based skills assessment tool to help refugee and migrant youth in Spain, Greece, and Germany identify their competencies and then connects them to tailored job readiness training and green-economy job opportunities. The technology matches their existing skills to local labor market needs, and the project provides coaching, soft-skills training, and employer networking to boost their employability. While a small NGO might not have fancy AI tools, you can borrow the principle: conduct a “skills and aspirations mapping” for each youth – what talents or interests do they have, and what local opportunities align? Then provide or find targeted training for those areas. It could be as simple as organizing a three-month basic coding workshop for youth interested in IT (perhaps using free online platforms in a group setting), or partnering with a local business to offer a short internship to a refugee youngster. By focusing on both learning pathways (continuing education, language, requalification courses) and employment pathways (mentorship, training, job placements), NGOs ensure refugee youth don’t remain stuck at the margins. Even modest interventions, like guiding someone to a nursing aide course or helping them validate a foreign diploma, can set a refugee youth on a path to self-reliance.

Local Coordination: Uniting Community Efforts for Integration

No single organization can address all the needs of refugee youth  collaboration at the local level is the glue that holds the other pillars together. Local coordination means working hand-in-hand with municipalities, schools, health services, other NGOs, and even refugee communities themselves to create a supportive ecosystem. For grassroots NGOs, fostering these partnerships can amplify impact without heavy spending, because it leverages existing community resources and avoids duplication. Here’s how to put coordination into practice:

Multi-Stakeholder Networks: Join or initiate a local Refugee Support Coalition that meets regularly. Many towns and cities have coordination meetings where NGOs, social services, and government officials share updates and solve problems together. If none exist, your NGO can take the lead in convening one. For example, the AMIF-funded MILE project (Migrant Integration through Locally-designed Experiences) demonstrated the power of co-creation in six European cities. It brought together city authorities, migrant-led organizations, and researchers to jointly design local integration plans. The idea is that local policy works best when it reflects the diverse population and gives refugees a say. As a result, MILE helped build lasting connections between migrant communities and city governments, ensuring services are better tailored to real needs. A small NGO can emulate this by involving refugee youth representatives in program planning and by maintaining close communication with local officials (e.g. the youth welfare office, school principals, employment centers). When everyone knows what each other is doing, refugees get more cohesive support.

One-Stop Support and Referral: Work toward a “no wrong door” approach in your community. Local coordination can lead to the creation of one-stop centers or clear referral pathways so that refugee families aren’t sent in circles. In some cases, municipalities have set up multi-service hubs  for instance, in Iceland an inter-ministerial collaboration with municipal funding established family centers that provide both learning support and mental health services for refugee children, along with weekly psychosocial support hours during their first year. While a small NGO might not run an entire center, you can mimic the concept by collocating services (perhaps arranging for a health nurse to use your NGO office once a week, while your staff also help with school registration forms, etc.). At minimum, maintain an updated directory of who can help with what (legal aid, health clinics, sports clubs, etc.) and guide youth to those resources. Strengthening referrals costs nothing but coordination time  yet it ensures each pillar (language, health, legal, etc.) is connected through a safety net.

Community Engagement and Local Volunteers: Coordinate not only with formal institutions but also the broader community. Cultivate partnerships with local clubs, businesses, and resident groups to support refugee youth initiatives. For example, you might collaborate with a community sports club to include refugee kids in their teams (covering their fees via a small grant or donation), or partner with a theater group to run a joint drama project. Community sponsorship programmes across Europe have shown that when local citizens are actively involved in welcoming refugees as mentors, language partners, hosts or employers  integration accelerates and prejudice diminishes. Encourage local youth to participate in activities alongside refugees (mixed football teams, shared art projects) so social bonds form naturally. By coordinating these efforts, your NGO serves as a hub linking refugees with friendly locals. This not only helps youths feel truly part of the community, but also shares the workload volunteers and local partners can extend what your limited staff can do. In the long run, nurturing local ownership of refugee inclusion (through awareness events, cultural exchange days, or volunteering drives) builds a more sustainable, warm environment for refugee youth to grow up in.

Local coordination is essentially about communication and partnership. It doesn’t require big funds it requires leadership and networking. By stepping into that connector role, a grassroots NGO can turn a patchwork of separate services into an integrated support system. The outcome is a community where refugee youth don’t fall through gaps: the school, the clinic, the job center, and the NGO all work in concert, with the young person at the center.

Sources: The practices and projects referenced here draw on publicly available information from European initiatives and grassroots programs, including Erasmus+ and AMIF project reports. Key examples include the Language Buddy Project, Red Cross integration services , the RefugeesWellSchool research interventions, the CO.A.ST partnership on legal support, the DUO for a JOB mentoring program, the SkillsPath employment project, and the MILE local integration co-creation model, among others. These sources demonstrate that even with limited means, adopting proven models can significantly improve outcomes for young refugees. By learning from such projects and tailoring them to your local context, your NGO can confidently apply the five pillars of integration in a practical, impactful way.

Valencia, 14–19 June: inside the “A World Without Borders” seminar

Publication Date:  2025/06/24

14 June — Arrival & orientation

Participants checked in, met the facilitation team, and set up a shared workspace for the week. The evening orientation covered the seminar goals, the five pillars of the guideline, and how daily feedback would work. A quick expectations-mapping exercise surfaced three priorities common to all teams: clear first-contact procedures, faster legal signposting, and stronger NGO–municipality links. Everyone completed a short self-assessment on confidence to apply the guideline; this would be revisited at the end of the week.

Day 1 (15 June) — Pillar 1 & 2: Language access and psychosocial support

Morning:  “Front desk, first five minutes.” Teams rotated through role-plays simulating a first visit from a refugee teenager and a parent with limited local language. One person played the youth worker, one the visitor, one observed with a checklist. The exercise exposed common pitfalls (rushing intake, jargon, skipping consent).
Output: a one-page first-contact script and a micro-signposting card (when to call an interpreter; where to book one; how to handle no-show).

Afternoon: Low-threshold wellbeing. A short input on trauma-aware practice led into a design task: sketch a “care pathway lite” that a youth NGO can actually run (drop-in listening hour; peer circles; referral to specialist care; boundaries for staff).
Output: a practical referral flow with three green flags (safe to hold), three amber (refer soon), three red (refer now). Participants practised saying the referral out loud in plain language.

Daily feedback highlight: several teams realised they could pilot the first-contact script without extra budget by training volunteers and pairing up with bilingual community members on a rota.

Day 2 (16 June) — Pillar 3: Legal and administrative access

Morning : “What to expect” storyboard. Starting from real cases (asylum claim pending; expired permit; change of school), groups built step-by-step storyboards showing where a young person typically gets stuck.
Output: a standardised info pack template (checklist + links) adaptable to each city; a short permission-to-accompany form for when staff or volunteers go to appointments.

Afternoon: Red-tape hackathon. Each country team chose one procedure to simplify (e.g., first GP registration; vocational school application). They mapped minimum documents, where to book, and realistic timelines. Trainers pushed for “what you can do on Monday morning” rather than ideal-world fixes.
Daily feedback highlight: participants noted that simply agreeing a shared vocabulary with local offices (what counts as “proof of address”, how to translate certain forms) removes avoidable delays.

Day 3 (17 June) — Pillar 4: Learning and employment pathways

Morning:  Skills & aspirations mapping. Using a lightweight worksheet, participants practised a 20-minute conversation that uncovers prior learning, informal skills and immediate goals.
Output: a skills & goals map plus a next-step menu linking language levels to concrete options (conversation club → workplace visit → short course → internship).

Afternoon: Mentoring and employer outreach. The group worked through a duo-mentoring setup (young person + senior volunteer in the same field) and drafted a three-email sequence to approach small employers for shadow days.
Daily feedback highlight: teams valued the “no new software” rule everything lives in a shared folder, with one page per young person and a monthly check-in.

Day 4 (18 June) — Pillar 5: Local coordination& final evaluation

Morning: Ecosystem mapping. On a large paper map of a “typical city”, teams placed actors (municipality; schools; clinics; migrant-led groups; sports clubs) and drew actual hand-offs between services. Gaps became visible: no fixed contact at the youth office; ad-hoc translation; duplicate language classes.

Afternoon: From map to routine. Participants co-designed a monthly coordination rhythm: one standing 60-minute meeting (fixed day/time), a shared calendar of intakes and deadlines, and a simple referral form accepted by all. They assigned roles for keeping it alive (who sends the agenda; who updates the contact list).

Each country drafted a 90-day plan: what they will pilot, with whom, and how they’ll measure if access improves (e.g., interpreter availability at first contact; time to first appointment; number of warm referrals). The final evaluation echoed the opening self-assessment: participants reported greater clarity on who does what, and most importantly, what to start next week.

What we brought home

 A tested first-contact script and micro-signposting card for language access.

A referral flow and ground rules for low-threshold psychosocial support.

A “what to expect” info pack and accompaniment protocol for common administrative steps.

A skills & goals map tying language levels to vocational routes, plus a basic employer-outreach sequence.

A monthly coordination routine (meeting, shared calendar, single referral form) to reduce gaps and duplication.

Participant takeaways

Teams left with executable pilots. Several planned to:

train volunteers on the first-contact script and pair them with bilingual buddies;

agree a one-page referral form with the municipal youth office;

run a two-hour “skills & goals” clinic twice a month;

track two or three light indicators to see if access is getting faster and fairer.

Stepping Beyond Tents: what we delivered and what changes next

 Publication Date: 2025/08/18

Over sixteen months, Stepping Beyond Tents set out a simple promise: listen carefully to refugee youth and to the professionals who stand beside them, turn what we hear into a clear, usable guideline, and test it in real settings. Led by CIFIR (France) with Backslash (Spain) and Old School Green (Antalya, Turkey), the partnership kept the focus on what frontline teams can start doing on Monday morning not on long reports that sit on a shelf.

What we did

We combined a short literature scan with two targeted surveys and two online focus groups one with refugee youth, one with professionals. The questions stayed close to daily life: language and information barriers, access to healthcare and mental health, legal and administrative hurdles, learning and jobs, and how local services work together.

In Valencia (14–19 June), Backslash hosted a five-day seminar “A World Without Borders” to present and pressure-test the draft guideline. Teams from France, Spain and Turkey worked through role-plays and design drills, then re-wrote tools on the spot based on feedback. Each country left with a 90-day plan to pilot the materials at home.

What we produced

A five-point guideline for organisations and decision-makers working with refugee youth. The pillars are:
(1) Language access at first contact; (2) Low-threshold psychosocial support and clear referral routes; (3) Legal and administrative navigation that sets expectations and cuts red tape; (4) Learning and employment pathways that link language to skills and work; (5) Local coordination so services don’t duplicate or leave gaps.

A practical mini-kit that turns those pillars into everyday tools, including:
a first-contact script and a micro-signposting card (when and how to bring in an interpreter);
a referral flow for wellbeing support, with plain-language thresholds;
a “what to expect” info pack and an accompaniment protocol for common procedures;
a skills & goals map that ties language levels to concrete next steps (conversation club → short course → internship);
a light employer-outreach sequence for shadow days and mentoring;
and a monthly coordination routine (fixed meeting, shared calendar, one referral form accepted by all).

Translations in EN/FR/ES/TR to support reuse across contexts.

An evaluation brief with simple indicators any NGO can track: time to first appointment, interpreter availability at first contact, number of warm referrals, and follow-up completion.

A dissemination package for partners, SALTO networks and municipal channels to help other teams adopt one pillar at a time.

What changed on the ground

Across pilots, partners report fewer missed steps at first contact, clearer hand-offs between NGOs and municipal services, and faster routing to the right place especially where the interpreter rota and the shared referral form were adopted together. Youth workers described feeling more confident about when to hold a situation and when to refer, and employers responded positively to short, structured asks for shadow days instead of open-ended commitments. Above all, the work shifted from ad-hoc fixes to repeatable routines.

What remains to do

Integration is a long road. The guideline is designed to evolve: as more organisations use the tools, we will collect short usage notes and update the mini-kit accordingly. The immediate next steps are to widen adoption through peer sessions, encourage cities to trial the monthly coordination rhythm, and keep the indicator set light so even the smallest grassroots groups can show progress without new software or staff.

Thanks and credits

This project was delivered by CIFIR (coordination and research), Backslash (guideline drafting and seminar host) and Old School Green (practice transfer), with input from refugee youth, frontline professionals and local stakeholders. To everyone who shared time, stories and feedback: thank you. The five pillars are stronger because they are yours 

The final brochure is out: All united for refugees
A Guideline for Inclusive Refugee Support in Europe

Publication Date: 2025/07/21

Subheadline: A practitioner-ready playbook built from listening, testing and co-creation — now available in English, Turkish, French and Spanish.

What it is

This brochure is the main output of Stepping Beyond Tents, a 16-month Erasmus+ partnership led by CIFIR with partners in Spain and Turkey. It distils research, field experience and expert dialogue into a flexible tool for municipalities, schools, NGOs and youth workers. The guide brings together key challenges and solutions, best practices, concrete tools for inclusive youth work, and policy recommendations.

How it’s organised

The publication is structured as a clear, navigable playbook. Core sections include: an Introduction, A landscape shaped by Syria and Ukraine, EU frameworks, Obstacles to integration, Effective integration models, Methods & tools for inclusion, Best practices and principles, Examples of successful initiatives, Tools and methodologies for evaluating programmes, Integrating young refugees: Inclusive & Safe Policy Guide, and Policy proposals – Action plan created during the seminar A World Without Borders, followed by the Conclusion.

What practitioners will find inside

Ready-to-use approaches: practical methods to include refugee youth (toolkits, language support ideas, non-formal learning formats, anti-discrimination routines, and how to recognise learning through Youthpass/EPALE).

Evaluation made simple: a mixed-methods template (light indicators + participatory feedback) and a “theory of change” spine you can copy into any project.

Sector guidance and safeguards: a concise Inclusive & Safe Policy Guide with sectoral recommendations on legal protection (e.g., guardianship for unaccompanied minors, family reunification, fair procedures).

Policy ideas you can localise: an action plan co-created during the Valencia seminar covering housing & employment supports, civic participation, legal aid, healthcare and education (e.g., legal clinics at entry points; cultural mediators in health; diploma recognition; bridging courses).

How we built it

The brochure sits on a documented method: online surveys and focus groups with refugee youth and frontline professionals in France, Spain and Turkey; desk research of laws and initiatives; transnational peer review; and guideline drafting validated in a multi-day seminar with practitioners.

Why it matters now

The guide frames today’s context  from the Syrian and Ukrainian displacement waves to the EU’s 2021–2027 Action Plan on Integration and Inclusion and youth-field priorities  and turns big frameworks into do-able steps for local teams.

Where to start

Use the evaluation chapter to set two or three light indicators (e.g., time to first appointment; interpreter availability; warm referrals) before you launch activities.

Lift a policy or practice from the action plan and pilot it with your municipality (for instance, a monthly civic participation forum or a legal-aid drop-in in partnership with a law faculty).

 Availability: The final brochure, All united for refugees  A Guideline for Inclusive Refugee Support in Europe, is published in EN, TR, FR and ES.
Credits: Produced under Work Package 3 – Guideline creation (SBT / KA210 Small-scale partnerships).

Closing note: The conclusion is explicit: this is a working tool and an invitation to keep adapting, testing and