{"id":26056779,"date":"2020-06-30T10:07:20","date_gmt":"2020-06-30T07:07:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/metadrasi.org\/25-unaccompanied-children-reunite\/"},"modified":"2025-01-07T04:29:12","modified_gmt":"2025-01-07T02:29:12","slug":"25-unaccompanied-children-reunite","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/metadrasi.org\/en\/25-unaccompanied-children-reunite\/","title":{"rendered":"25 unaccompanied children reunite with members of their families in Switzerland |The emotional separation of a foster family that took care of two unaccompanied siblings"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery columns-3 is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\"><ul class=\"blocks-gallery-grid\"><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"999\" height=\"600\" src=\"http:\/\/metadrasi.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/metadrasi_reunifications_switzerland_1.jpg\" alt=\"Metadrasi -\" data-id=\"17256\" data-full-url=\"http:\/\/metadrasi.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/metadrasi_reunifications_switzerland_1.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/metadrasi.org\/25-%ce%b1%cf%83%cf%85%ce%bd%cf%8c%ce%b4%ce%b5%cf%85%cf%84%ce%b1-%cf%80%ce%b1%ce%b9%ce%b4%ce%b9%ce%ac-%ce%b5%cf%80%ce%b1%ce%bd%ce%b5%ce%bd%cf%8e%ce%bd%ce%bf%ce%bd%cf%84%ce%b1%ce%b9-%ce%bc%ce%b5-%cf%83\/metadrasi_reunifications_switzerland_1\/\" class=\"wp-image-17256\" title=\"Metadrasi -\"><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"800\" src=\"http:\/\/metadrasi.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/metadrasi_reunifications_switzerland_6.jpg\" alt=\"Metadrasi -\" data-id=\"17258\" data-full-url=\"http:\/\/metadrasi.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/metadrasi_reunifications_switzerland_6.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/metadrasi.org\/25-%ce%b1%cf%83%cf%85%ce%bd%cf%8c%ce%b4%ce%b5%cf%85%cf%84%ce%b1-%cf%80%ce%b1%ce%b9%ce%b4%ce%b9%ce%ac-%ce%b5%cf%80%ce%b1%ce%bd%ce%b5%ce%bd%cf%8e%ce%bd%ce%bf%ce%bd%cf%84%ce%b1%ce%b9-%ce%bc%ce%b5-%cf%83\/metadrasi_reunifications_switzerland_6\/\" class=\"wp-image-17258\" title=\"Metadrasi -\"><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"600\" src=\"http:\/\/metadrasi.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/metadrasi_reunifications_switzerland_3.jpg\" alt=\"Metadrasi -\" data-id=\"17257\" data-full-url=\"http:\/\/metadrasi.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/metadrasi_reunifications_switzerland_3.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/metadrasi.org\/25-%ce%b1%cf%83%cf%85%ce%bd%cf%8c%ce%b4%ce%b5%cf%85%cf%84%ce%b1-%cf%80%ce%b1%ce%b9%ce%b4%ce%b9%ce%ac-%ce%b5%cf%80%ce%b1%ce%bd%ce%b5%ce%bd%cf%8e%ce%bd%ce%bf%ce%bd%cf%84%ce%b1%ce%b9-%ce%bc%ce%b5-%cf%83\/metadrasi_reunifications_switzerland_3\/\" class=\"wp-image-17257\" title=\"Metadrasi -\"><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Lately, the upcoming relocations of unaccompanied minors are on the spotlight, but at the same time some countries have accelerated the process of family reunification. One of these countries is Switzerland that has already received <a href=\"https:\/\/metadrasi.org\/en\/23-unaccompanied-children-reunite-with-members-of-their-families-in-switzerland\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">23 unaccompanied children<\/a> in mid-May and last Friday, another 25 children. A week ago, METAdrasi began the escorting missions of 19 unaccompanied children to Athens from the hotspots of Lesvos and Chios and from Kastoria, Giannitsa and Thessaloniki. On Friday, together with four children that lived in accommodation facilities in Athens and two siblings that stayed with a foster family, METAdrasi\u2019s escorts took all 25 children to the airport in order to depart for Switzerland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cEvery escorting mission is special and there is always a sentiment of joy, especially when we take children away from the awful living conditions of the hotspots. The escorting missions to the airport are the final stage. The children have already realised that what they had been waiting for all these long months, to go to their families that live in another European country, is finally going to be true\u201d, says Maria, one of METAdrasi\u2019s escorts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Yet, there was something special about these last escorting missions: among the children that departed, there were two siblings, a boy and a girl (8 and 7 years old, respectively) who had found themselves alone in Greece after a dangerous journey. Due to the lack of accommodation facilities they ended up at \u201cAghia Sofia\u201d General Children\u2019s Hospital. METAdrasi got notified and immediately started the procedures to find them a foster family. The children were in dire need of a loving hug and the warmth of a home until they were reunited with their father who was in Switzerland. METAdrasi\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/metadrasi.org\/en\/campaigns\/foster-care-for-unaccompanied-separated-children\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Foster Care<\/a> department managed to find them a foster family, the mother of a boy, who took over their temporary care. In the seven months that the two siblings stayed in the foster family, the bond that developed among the siblings, the foster mother and her son, was particularly touching. \u201cWords are not enough to describe how grateful we are to these foster families who host unaccompanied children opening their hearts and their homes to provide them with a safe environment\u201d, says Lora Pappa, METAdrasi\u2019s president.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When they learned that the time had come for the siblings to reunite with their father in Switzerland, they decided not to say goodbye at home but to accompany them to the airport, together with METAdrasi\u2019s escorts. There, just before boarding, they said their goodbyes with tears in their eyes, many hugs and a big promise: to meet again as soon as possible!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We would like to thank&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bluestarferries.com\/en\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Blue Star Ferries<\/a>&nbsp;of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.attica-group.com\/en\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Attica Group<\/a>, who offered us free ferry tickets for the transport of unaccompanied children, as well as the Asylum Service Department of the National Dublin Unit for the excellent cooperation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery columns-2 is-cropped wp-block-gallery-2 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\"><ul class=\"blocks-gallery-grid\"><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"864\" height=\"1152\" src=\"http:\/\/metadrasi.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/metadrasi_reunifications_switzerland_9.jpg\" alt=\"Metadrasi -\" data-id=\"17261\" data-full-url=\"http:\/\/metadrasi.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/metadrasi_reunifications_switzerland_9.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/metadrasi.org\/25-%ce%b1%cf%83%cf%85%ce%bd%cf%8c%ce%b4%ce%b5%cf%85%cf%84%ce%b1-%cf%80%ce%b1%ce%b9%ce%b4%ce%b9%ce%ac-%ce%b5%cf%80%ce%b1%ce%bd%ce%b5%ce%bd%cf%8e%ce%bd%ce%bf%ce%bd%cf%84%ce%b1%ce%b9-%ce%bc%ce%b5-%cf%83\/metadrasi_reunifications_switzerland_9\/\" class=\"wp-image-17261\" title=\"Metadrasi -\"><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"864\" height=\"1152\" src=\"http:\/\/metadrasi.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/metadrasi_reunifications_switzerland_4.jpg\" alt=\"Metadrasi -\" data-id=\"17260\" data-full-url=\"http:\/\/metadrasi.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/metadrasi_reunifications_switzerland_4.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/metadrasi.org\/25-%ce%b1%cf%83%cf%85%ce%bd%cf%8c%ce%b4%ce%b5%cf%85%cf%84%ce%b1-%cf%80%ce%b1%ce%b9%ce%b4%ce%b9%ce%ac-%ce%b5%cf%80%ce%b1%ce%bd%ce%b5%ce%bd%cf%8e%ce%bd%ce%bf%ce%bd%cf%84%ce%b1%ce%b9-%ce%bc%ce%b5-%cf%83\/metadrasi_reunifications_switzerland_4\/\" class=\"wp-image-17260\" title=\"Metadrasi -\"><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Among the children that departed, there were two siblings, a boy and a girl&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":389373,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","iawp_total_views":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[124],"tags":[],"dipi_cpt_category":[],"class_list":["post-26056779","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-announcements"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/metadrasi.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26056779","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/metadrasi.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/metadrasi.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/metadrasi.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/metadrasi.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26056779"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/metadrasi.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26056779\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/metadrasi.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/389373"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/metadrasi.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26056779"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/metadrasi.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26056779"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/metadrasi.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26056779"},{"taxonomy":"dipi_cpt_category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/metadrasi.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/dipi_cpt_category?post=26056779"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}