“I remember every one of the missions I have done, every child I have accompanied. Seeing the tremendous anguish that the children experience and the conditions from which I pick them up, I feel that, in a way, I help to improve their lives”, says Eleni, member of METAdrasi’s activity “Escorting missions for unaccompanied children”.

Since the beginning of 2024 and to date, more than 2,800 refugee children have been safely escorted by METAdrasi to appropriate shelters. These are children, the majority of whom were living in precarious conditions in the structures on the islands and were transferred to the mainland.

METAdrasi’s activity “Escorting missions for unaccompanied children” is part of the National Emergency Response Mechanism, which was established following a joint initiative of the Special Secretariat for the Protection of Unaccompanied Minors, (now the General Secretariat for Vulnerable Persons & Institutional Protection) of the Ministry of Migration & Asylum and UNHCR, and is supported with funding from the Swiss Government. It operates in cooperation with IOM Greece and the organizations Network for Children’s Rights, ARSIS – Association for the Social Support of Youth and METAdrasi.

In this effort, the contribution of volunteer escorts is important, as well as the support of Blue Star Ferries, Hellenic Seaways and Anek Lines of Attica Group which has been standing by METAdrasi’s side for years, having granted more than 1,800 tickets for this year alone! We warmly thank them!