Author
Children beneficiaries of international protection have an obligation to study at primary and secondary education institutions of the public education system, under the same conditions as nationals.[1] Similar to Reception Conditions: Access to Education, the new Asylum Code refers not to a right to education but to a duty for beneficiaries of international protection. In case of violation of this obligation, the penalties provided for Greek citizens are imposed on the adult members of the minor’s family.[2]
Adult beneficiaries are entitled to access the education system and training programmes under the same conditions as legally residing third-country nationals.[3] The official number of children beneficiaries of international protection enrolled in formal education is not known. However, only a fraction of data is available through the aforementioned UNHCR survey conducted from July 2022 to June 2023 with 424 beneficiaries of international protection. According to the survey, the rate of school-aged children living with their families and attending formal education is 71% during the reporting period.[4]
In Greece there are thirteen intercultural primary schools and thirteen intercultural high-schools with preparatory classes.[5]
According to the Ministry of Migration and Asylum, the program “All Children in Education” should provide children of refugee and migrant families residing in the country with support for their smooth integration into Greek public education. Within the framework of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Migration and Asylum and UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund), the program “All Children in Education” is being developed. The aim of the programme is to reach, facilitate and support the children of migrants and refugees in order to improve their education, school readiness and access to education through the operation of “Centres for children and refugees”. Moreover, the ‘Study and Creative Activity Centres’ operate where reside migrant and refugee families, in order to support and facilitate the smooth access of migrants and refugees’ children (4-17 years old) to school and their continued education. In these centres, children are taught the Greek and English language, among other courses, by qualified teachers, educators and volunteers from UNICEF network agencies, that enhance their formal education education in public school.[6]
The Accelerated Learning Program (ALP) was developed by a tripartite cooperation between the University of Thessaly, UNICEF and the Institute of Educational Policy, in order to address the issues of educational inclusion in lower secondary education (Gymnasium) for adolescents with refugee or migrant background. Most students, in addition to the challenge of learning the language of the school, face significant obstacles in attending other subjects, often due to more or less extended periods of time spent out of education in their country of origin, during the refugee route and during their first period of residence in Greece. The lessons taught are Biology, History, Social and Civic Education, Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry.[7]
The Ministry of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports announced a call for teachers of Primary and Secondary Education, who wish to be seconded to Regional Directorates of Primary and Secondary Education, in order to be appointed as Refugee Education Coordinators during the school year 2023 – 2024 at the Accommodation Centres / Facilities.[8]
Migrant Integration Centres (M.I.C.), which were established by law 4368 (ΦΕΚ 21 Α’, 2016) and function as branches of Community Centers in municipalities, provide, inter alia, language learning and training (Lessons in Greek language, history, and culture which are offered to adults who are either migrants or beneficiaries of international protection. Intercultural activities which facilitate the co-existence between third-country children/young people and native children/ young people. Activities that facilitate third-country nationals’ access to the job market).
In Greece, there are eleven Migration Centers in: Athens, Piraeus, Kallithea, Thessaloniki, Kordelio-Evosmos, Thebes, Lamia, Andravida-Kyllini, Heraklion-Crete, Lesvos and Trikala.[9]
However, the demand for their services is exceeding their capacity. Suffice it to mention that for Athens, where a large part of the refugee population is concentrated, there is only one migrant integration center, which by its nature serves not only beneficiaries of international protection but all third-country nationals.
Furthermore, according to UNHCR’s aforementioned survey “[o]f the refugee population in Greece, 18% have University-level or higher education.”[10].
To date, the D.O.A.T.A.P – Hellenic National Academic Recognition and Information Centre (Hellenic NARIC), the official body of the Hellenic Republic for the academic recognition of titles and qualifications awarded by foreign Higher Education Institutions has not provided any exceptions from its extremely strict requirements for the recognition of university degrees of beneficiaries of international protection.
The following requirements must be met and submitted: a legally certified copy of High School Diploma and translation in Greek; a legally certified copy of the degree to be recognised and its official translation in Greek; a legally certified copy of the official transcript of records (grades from all subjects and from all the years of study, signed and stamped by the University, stating the date of award) and its official translation in Greek; the University Certificate.[11] Moreover, L. 4957/2022 establishes the National Register of Recognised Higher Education Institutions of Foreign Countries and the National Register of Types of Degrees of Recognised Higher Education Institutions of Foreign Countries, which includes extremely difficult conditions to be met by the refugees for the inclusion of their universities in it.[12] These requirements are impossible to be met by the vast majority of beneficiaries of international protection. Thus, most of them cannot continue their education in their field of studies.
In 2022, a total of 9,224 applications for recognition of titles and qualifications awarded by non-Greek Higher Education Institutions were submitted to DOATAP. A total of 11,472 diploma recognition documents were issued. There are no statistics specific to beneficiaries of international protection. Furthermore, DOATAP has not yet published data for 2023.[13]
[1] Article 27(1) Asylum Code.
[2] Article 27(1) Asylum Code.
[3] Article 27(2) Asylum Code.
[4] UNHCR, Key Findings: July 2022 – June 2023, Protection Monitoring of Refugees in Greece, August 2023, available at: https://bit.ly/4dgyE2l.
[5] Intercultural Schools, available in Greek at: https://bit.ly/3waqqs1.
[6] Greek Parliament, Parliamentary Control, Reply of Ministrer of Migration and Asylum, prot. no. 551513/21.12.2023.
[7] Ministry of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports, available in Greek at: https://bit.ly/3JAoNH5.
[8] Ministry of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports, Call prot. no. 117949/Ε2, 20 October 2023, available in Greek at: https://bit.ly/3QlWVds.
[9] Ministry of Migration and Asylum, Migrant Integration Centers, available at: https://bit.ly/4dhsrDC.
[10] UNHCR, Key Findings: July 2022 – June 2023, Protection Monitoring of Refugees in Greece, August 2023, available at: https://bit.ly/4dgyE2l.
[11] DOATAP website available at: https://bit.ly/3q8RqET.
[12] Article 304 L.4957/2022.
[13] DOATAP website, Statistics, available in Greek at: https://bit.ly/3UfX4R1.