ABSTRACT
In March 2016, after the European Union reached a deal with Turkey, more than 50,000 refugees were essentially trapped in Greece. Accommodation capacity was quickly exhausted in the Aegean islands, making it imperative that refugees be moved to urban settings on the Greek mainland. This chapter offers a case study of how one civil society actor – the Athens-based NGO SolidarityNow – responded by trying to bridge emergency (housing) and long-term (integration) concerns, especially when facing an ineffective official response from governments and international humanitarian institutions. It showcases two interventions where citizens’ goodwill was supported and incremented: A nationwide awareness campaign and subsequent program, “Home for Hope,” where more than 800 asylum seekers were hosted by Greek families and had a chance to establish new family bonds, and a pilot project for economic development on the tiny islands of Tilos, where both locals and refugees benefited from changes ranging from better medical facilities to English classes.
