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The number of people that can be successfully integrated
Kozani is a small town located in Western Macedonia with an estimated population of around 70,000 people. Taking into account the number of refugees that have successfully been integrated in Switzerland around 90 refugees can be hosted by our town. -
Hosting refugees and asylum seekers
By hosting refugees and asylum seekers in our houses or special welcome hotels and refugee camps, we can help them develop a sense of belonging (to a family). We can then help integrate by showing them our hometown, inviting them to activities like watching football together or having dinner. To help even more, we can join a campaign that raises awareness about refugee issues and shows solidarity. . -
Offer employment to the refugees who are likely to stay
If employment is offered to the refugees we help them feel useful community members, and at the same time this will help boost the local economy. We can volunteer with a refugee organization near us and offer our skills to teach refugees a language, craft, or sport. We should also help refugees get work, by hiring a refugee, supporting a refugee-owned business or offering training or volunteer opportunities to refugees.Some careers they could follow are builders, stock breeders, farmers, etc. -
Ways that schools can help refugees
Refugee children need to be able to communicate with others. They need to feel safe, so schools and education systems must help with these needs. They can help refugee children to engage in social activities and community building, so as to break down social isolation, build trust, bonding and help natives develop an understanding of others. Finally, schools can help address the emotional needs of refugee students by offering them opportunities to share their stories and experiences with peers. -
Hold awareness and fundraising events
Holding awareness and fundraising events (bazaars, charity and cultural events etc.) we help the local community get to know the refugees' culture and thus help them to be integrated more easily. -
Donate
We can donate money as well as goods (food, clothes, toys, blankets etc.) to charities and refugee organizations. As a result, we help non governmental organizations offer refugees decent living conditions and help them feel the host country more like home. -
Volunteer specific skills
By volunteering specific skills and offering our services, we can help refugees in many ways. For instance, by having medical knowledge we can offer them first aid and medical treatment. Moreover, teachers can help the refugees' children develop their skills in the language of the host country by teaching them Greek (for example), and thus, make their integration in the new culture easier. -
The potential benefits for the local community
Some of the potential benefits would be a)increasing the number of entrepreneurs (e.g builders, woodworkers, plumbers etc), b)bringing young workers who help offset the retirement of older people, and c)increasing the flexibility and productivity of indigenous workforce by offering them formal education and training for a longer time. A positive impact of this may be that the local economy will recover, as refugees will be able to work, and as a result lack of workforce will decrease.