Ioannina inaugurates its new Intercultural Centre for Social Integration

The centre will help migrants and refugees better integrate into Greek society

The Ioannina Intercultural Centre for Social Integration was inaugurated last week, heralding a new age for migrants and refugees in the Greek city. The centre will play a key role in their integration in society and will help them find their footing in an unfamiliar land by expanding the range of services and offers that are available for their integration.

The Center is located on Akadimias Street, in the building where until recently the Historical Archive of the Municipality operated. This area after the transfer of the Archive to the Mansion of Ismini Tzavella was renovated, completely modernized and equipped with all the necessary items.

Making sure that everyone feels welcome

The new facility will be operated by the Cultural Center of the Municipality of Ioannina for the operation, while the funding comes from the Open Foundation Society.

The Mayor of Ioannina, Moses Elisaf, in his statements stressed that this is a hospitable place where refugees and immigrants will be able to come to solve their problems "It is staffed with five specialists who will provide social services and interpretation services in three languages ​​(French, Arabic and Farsi). At the same time, we renovated the building that housed the historical archive of the Municipality, which was recently moved to the Tzavella mansion, which now adorns the historic city centre, and turned it into a modern building.”

Some of the functions of the new centre include:

• providing interpretation - intercultural mediation services in all services of the Municipality and its Legal Entities
• organizing cultural and social events and actions of different cultures
• providing advisory support
• informing and liaising citizens with social protection, solidarity and social inclusion bodies and programs implemented at local, regional and national level
• supporting citizens in joining social protection programs and the application process
• cooperating and referring requests to other structures as well as services, provided within the geographical boundaries of its area of ​​operation.
• Thanks to the new centre, new arrivals and those who already live in Ioannina will most certainly feel more welcome and better prepared for life in the city.