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1 What makes a #refugeeswelcomeregion? Reflections from the Greek islands in the Aegean Sea Dimitris Ballas Faculty of Spatial Sciences, University of Groningen d.ballas@rug.nl Source:

2 Outline The Refugee Crisis in numbers What makes a city of sanctuary? (#refugeeswelcomeregions) Towards a conceptual and methodological framework to analyse the integration potential across Europe s regions and cities

3 Source: UNHCR, 2017

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9 Human rights in Europe: Do not leave the battlefield he landscape I describe is a bleak one, and those who erish human rights, who value Europe, cannot remain silent. all human rights defenders, to all those who protect the ost vulnerable, to all those politicians who stand by inciples and values even when it is not electorally nvenient, I say: do not leave the battlefield. With you, we ll overcome this negative period and build a stronger rope based on human rights for all. ls Muižnieks, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human hts, annual activity report for 2015 (my emphasis) report

10 her considerations (apart from the obvious humanitarian imperatives) Strong economic case:potential contribution that they can make to the economies and pensions systems of European countries increasingly faced with a demographic and pension crisis. Socio-cultural:The integration of people with diverse backgrounds can be culturally enriching.

11 hat makes a region of sanctuary? #refugeeswelcome istorical background ocial attitudes, social norms and values ducation ocial capital emographics ocial and Economic conditions efugees expectations and aspirations

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13 e heart of these efforts is a Greek NGO called SolidarityNow, ed by the European Union Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid rations organisation. Fay Koutzoukou is the group s mmodation programme coordinator. Responsible for housing gees across Greece, she is heavily involved with Tilos. Unlike os and other islands, she explains, we got locals on side from eginning. In places like Lesbos the numbers [of refugees] were, but no attempt was made to integrate them they were stuck in ps. This is not a good model.

14 , Koutzoukoucontinues, they found the perfect opportunity. During r the island gets tourists so hotels and shops need extra people. We ted local businesses and said Why hire someone from Athens when ve people here on the island for whom you won t need to pay travel or modation costs? It made total commercial sense for them. It wasn t. It was a win-win situation. mere employment lies the final jigsaw piece: entrepreneurship. Tilos ly have a few hundred people, but it has thousands of goats. Thus far e only milked for personal consumption. Plans are in place for es to partner with locals to set up a cheese factory and export local

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17 pital: Mytilene city

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21 Now (21 st century) and Then (20 th century)

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25 Inspiring actions of humanity ocal volunteers even if Greece is bankrupt and e have no money, we will still have our bodies nd we will help the people who need us George Tyrikos-Ergas, Agkalia, NGO awarded the ouncil of Europe Raoul Wallenberg Prize 2016) Volunteers International often taking unpaid eave from work, bringing their own equipment nd living in whatever accommodation they can ind; a nurse from Palestine, a doctor from Israel, ifeguards from Barcelona; from Bolton to Oslo,

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32 ards a conceptual and methodological framework analyse the integration potentialacross Europe s regions and cities eodemographics ocial and Economic conditions ata on refugees (demographics,socio-economic, xpectations and aspirations) ational and local politics ducation ocial capital edia representations

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