Regarding the work being done in the shelters of the Church of Greece in which unaccompanied minor refugees are accommodated, His Beatitude Archbishop of Athens and All Greece Mr. Ieronymos was informed this morning by the General Director of AMKE “SYNYPARXIS”, Archimandrite Father Panteleimon Papasynefakis.
The organization “SYNYPARXIS” of the Church of Greece has been active for the last 40 years in the field of support for returnees, immigrants and refugees and, in particular, for the last 3 years, it has hosted unaccompanied minor refugee children in its shelters.
Father Panteleimonas Papasynefakis presented to the Archbishop in detail the operation of the organization’s five shelters located in the Attica Basin and the wider region of the Prefecture of Thessaloniki, where 196 children are currently accommodated, who are provided with, in addition to housing and feeding, social and psychological support from specialized scientific staff – in accordance with the rules of child protection – but also legal assistance. In addition, the children, in addition to the public school program they follow, attend remedial Greek and English language courses within the shelters.
The General Director of “SYNYPARXIS” referred to the constructive cooperation that the organization has with the Ministry of Immigration and the Ministry of Development, and especially Mr. N. Mitarakis, Adv. Georgiadis and the Deputy Minister Mrs. S. Voultepsi, who as he emphasized are constant helpers in the efforts of the Church of Greece in this specific field.
The Archbishop asked Fr. Panteleimon to convey his thanks personally to the staff of “SYNYPARXIS” for the difficult work they do in their effort to make these children feel safe and regain their hope for the future. He emphasized that the Church has created the appropriate conditions, so that these children acquire the appropriate supplies and become useful citizens for Greek society.
*from the press office of the Archdiocese of Athens
