European Refugee Fund project

Title “Specific social and psychological assistance for asylum seekers in Romania”, reference no. ERF/09.01.02.01

Financed by the Romanian Immigration Office through the European Refugee Fund – 2009 Annual Program

Duration: 15 months (1 April 2010 – 30 June 2011)

General objective of the project is to contribute to the improvement of the quality of life for asylum seekers in Bucharest, Galati, Radauti, Somcuta Mare and Timisoara through:

Specific objectives

1. offering social, educational and recreational services for asylum seekers living in the regional centers from Bucharest, Galati, Radauti, Somcuta Mare and Timisoara of the Romanian Immigration Office

2. offering specialized psychological and social assistance for victims of torture and ill-treatment, as well as for other vulnerable categories of asylum seekers

Target groups:

– asylum seekers (defined according to Art. 2 b from Law 122/2006 and Art. 6 c from Council Decision 573/2007/EC) in Bucharest, Galati, Radauti, Somcuta Mare and Timisoara

– vulnerable persons among asylum seekers, meaning, according to Art. 17 (1) from Directive 2003/9/EC, “minors, unaccompanied minors, people with disabilities, elderly, pregnant women, single parents with minor children and persons who were subjected to torture, rape or other serious forms of psychological, physical or sexual violence”

The main activities consist of social counselling, organizing educational and cultural activities (Romanian language classes, cultural orientation sessions, intercultural exchanges), organizing recreational and festive activities for asylum seekers, as well as specific psychological and social assistance for vulnerable groups of asylum seekers (unaccompanied minors, single parent families, elderly, persons with chronic illnesses, victims of torture or other forms of severe physical and psychological violence). Identification and evaluation of vulnerable people through screening and needs assessment is an activity of main concern due to the specialized assistance this group needs to receive. In the outreach offices the staff includes psychologists, social workers, interpreters, interns and volunteers.

Results after 15 months of project activities:

– 1230 social counselling sessions performed by ICAR’s social workers for a total number of  568 asylum seekers in Bucharest, Galaţi, Rădăuţi, Şomcuta Mare and Timişoara;

– 968 educational and cultural orientation sessions: cultural orientation and Romanian language classes; extracurricular educational activities for children (mathematics, geography, history, English etc.);

– 69 guided visits to cultural sites (National Military Museum – Bucharest, National Village Museum – Bucharest, Banat Village Museum – Timisoara, National History Museum – Bucharest, Museum Complex of Natural History – Galati, Peles Castle, Bran Castle, Ceramic workshop and Village Museum Marginea, Radauti), as well as visits to other cultural sites (Putna Monastery, Sucevita Monastery, Bogdana Monastery – Radauti, Orthodox Cathedral Timisoara, Catholic Dome Timisoara, Mosque, Zoological Garden – Timisoara, Botanical Garden Galati, Zoological Garden radauti, Zoological Garden Galati, cinemas etc.) or parks (Cismigiu Park, Herastrau Park – Bucharest, parks in Radauti, Somcuta Mare and Baia Mare, Roses Park – Timisoara);

– 361 periodic recreational activities (artistic and documentary film projections, sports, group games, drawing, painting, computer educational games for children etc.)

– 34 festive events to mark significant days for the Romanian or the beneficiaries’ culture (International Children’s Day, International Refugee Day, the end of the Ramadan, Eid al-Adha, winter holidays – Christmas and New Year) in the five refugee centres of the Romanian Immigration Office;

– 627 asylum seekers in Bucharest, Galaţi, Rădăuţi, Şomcuta Mare and Timişoara participated in educational, cultural, recreational and festive activities;

– 56 computer classes for a total number of 22 asylum seekers (out of whom 8 minors)

– 540 psychological counselling and psychotherapy sessions for 102 asylum seekers victims of torture or other forms of severe physical and psychological violence;

– 122 assistance and counselling sessions for 22 unaccompanied minors;

– 55 psycho-social counselling sessions for 6 single parent families;

– 465 psycho-social counselling sessions for 203 other vulnerable persons among asylum seekers.