Brussels, 11 September 2019 – JRS Europe is pleased to present the Annual Report 2018, an overview of the work carried out by the Regional Office in Brussels as well as 23 national JRS offices across Europe.

JRS continued to pursue work guided by its mission to accompany, serve and advocate for the rights of refugees and others who are forcibly displaced. Over the course of 2018, JRS Europe mainly focused on protection, hospitality and inclusion.

“In 2018 we have increased the number of people we serve as a result of the commitment of our national teams, but we remain very attentive to individualized attention. At the end of the day, the accompaniment, and the bonds of personal relationship, are what make meaningful the support that JRS is promoting. In this sense, we are also growing in programmes that are oriented towards integration, that is to say, towards permanent solutions,” reflected Jose Ignacio Garcia SJ, director of JRS Europe. 

Protecting refugees in Europe

The 3-year project Protection at External Borders came successfully to its conclusion in 2018. With the help of JRS staff on the ground, JRS Europe supported vulnerable migrants along Europe’s external borders and was able to monitor human rights violations such as border violence against migrants and push-backs. 

This project led to the publication of the final report Forgotten at the gates of Europe, which paints a picture of how migrants, asylum seekers, and refugees experience their journey, the obstacles they face at the border, and the endless difficulties they undergo once arrived in the territory of an EU Member State.

At national level, country offices continued with their work protecting refugees and asylum seekers on the ground. Projects sheltering vulnerable people in countries such as Macedonia, Serbia, and Greece, and visits to migrants in detention centres to provide them with legal assistance, are just a few examples of the many projects undertaken by JRS country offices     .

Thanks to you

Every year, the Annual Report is an opportunity to acknowledge the effort and generosity of our many benefactors, staff and volunteers. Our most sincere gratitude to all!    

At the end of the day, the accompaniment, and the bonds of personal relationship, are what make meaningful the support that JRS is promoting.