Activity objectives

In this study-visit you will:

• Learn about concrete practices, methods, and tools that were developed by youth work organisations working with refugees.
• Reflect on the role of voluntary and professional youth workers involving refugees in their activities and on the boundary between youth work and other professional support (e.g. trauma, legal, psychological, procedural).
• Exchange ideas and experiences with other youth workers from across Europe who face similar challenges.
• Find out how organisations respond to the societal and political context in which support for refugees is being challenged.

Description

Youth work can be a powerful space of connection, growth, and belonging for young refugees. Across Europe, youth workers are already opening doors: building trust, creating activities, and offering spaces where young refugees can develop skills, discover talents, and simply be young. Even during stressful asylum procedures, youth work can provide moments of normality, friendship, and hope. To make this potential real, we need to see the barriers that remain. These range from structural, practical and material constrains, to a lack of clear information about what youth work is and how to take part in it. Refugees—especially those in a procedure for international protection —often live in a situation full of stress, uncertainty, and confusion. In this situation, even when youth workers have good intentions, it can be hard to deal with the complex and difficult reality of refugees’ lives. Youth workers—both volunteers and paid staff—also find it hard to know how to balance their own role with knowing when and how to seek specialized professional support. At the same time, public support, political interest, and funding for refugee support are getting weaker.

The roots of this study visit lie in the belief that youth work—especially through European youth programmes—can help close these gaps and respond to the challenges