JRS Europe annual report 2015

Brussels, 30 May 2016 – ‘Keep the spirit of welcome alive’ is the core message of the JRS Europe annual report released today. Despite the introduction of ever more restrictive border policies by states over the last months, JRS offices across Europe continue to see a strong will for welcoming refugees by local citizens.

Covering 2015, a year which saw a sharp increase in people seeking protection in Europe, the annual report highlights the work of the regional office and JRS operations in 17 European countries.

“The JRS network in Europe responded with dedication and compassion to the increased number of arrivals in Europe over the last year. With the crucial support of our partners and donors we were able to coordinate our response and provide key services to vulnerable groups of migrants – for example, offering a place for rest and recuperation in our safe houses in Athens and in Skopje,” said JRS Europe regional director Jean-Marie Carrière.

“Pope Francis called on us all to offer a welcome of dignity and solidarity, which received an overwhelming response from ordinary citizens. All through the year we saw local people offering their time and support to people travelling with nothing more than the clothes they wore – from the Greek island of Lesbos to the northern reaches of Sweden.

Through our services and communities of hospitality JRS Europe aims to sustain this positive attitude towards refugees and take all this energy into the important long-term project of social inclusion and integration,” says Carrière.

Read the report here to find out more about our projects and advocacy actions in JRS in Europe.

Pope Francis called on us all to offer a welcome of dignity and solidarity, which received an overwhelming response from ordinary citizens. All through the year we saw local people offering their time and support to people travelling with nothing more than the clothes they wore – from the Greek island of Lesbos to the northern reaches of Sweden.