Reception

WELCOMING PEOPLE MEANS BUILDING COMMUNITIES

Ever since its founding, in 1990, Popoli Insieme has been engaged in welcoming and accompanying refugees and asylum seekers in Padua.

For us, it all started with a night reception for migrants in the early 90’s.
Since 2000 our action has been addressed specifically to refugees, who find hospitality in our night shelter in the Arcella neighbourhood. In 2014, because of the increasing number of asylum seekers coming to Italy, we felt it was time for us to take on a new challenge: asylum seekers reception. It was in the summer of 2014, with new skills and professionalism, that we inaugurated the first accommodation.

Ever since then, we take on first and second reception projects, to be next to asylum seekers and refugees in their path of autonomy and inclusion.

1. FIRST RECEPTION

CAS (Extraordinary reception center) are structures sorted by prefectures in agreement with organizations like Popoli Insieme, according to public procurement policy. In these accommodations international protection seekers can find reception for the whole duration of the legal process. In the past years our first reception experience has grown in numbers, both of asylum seekers we host and volunteers engaged in the activities of inclusion and integration with the community. We believe in micro-reception: we own apartments in Padua where we accommodate families and men especially from Africa.

How we do it

We work on a daily basis on our projects of reception and inclusion of asylum seekers and refugees.
We believe that every project starts from the individual and from human relations: this is the reason why we base every action on the values of respect and mutuality.
Micro-reception paves that every venue accommodates a small number of people: in our apartments we usually host up to 6 people. This formulation guarantees a constant presence of the social workers and, at the same time, it allows the people we host to live an independent life. We work together for a real inclusion in the community once the reception period is over.

What we offer

  • Literacy and linguistic mediation: the path of inclusion in our community starts by learning the language, we cooperate with other organizations and institutions to provide Italian courses to our guests.
  • Information and legal support: our guests are introduced to the legal procedure they have to undergo in order to request international protection. They are aware of their rights and of the different steps of the procedure. Here they can count on the support of an immigration lawyer.
  • Healthcare: we guarantee complete access to public healthcare and we work so that our guests can reach complete autonomy in using services
  • Home search: once our guests are out of reception, they will have to find an accommodation of their own. Social workers inform them on the many channels available to search for a home.
  • Job search: our guests are accompanied in writing down their resume and in active search of educational programmes or job opportunities. They learn how to undergo an interview, how to read an employment contract and a paycheck. They are also informed on their worker duties and rights.
  • Local knowledge: our guests are led to discover the territory and its services, thanks to the support of social workers and volunteers
  • Constant presence of the social workers is guaranteed in order to oversee, coordinate and mediate difficult domestic situation or to be next to the guests when in need.

The added value

Through professionalism, expertise and a human approach open to dialogue and based on listening, we structure personalized educational pathways for the people we host. Every pathway includes various activities and collateral services:

  • Volunteers support in learning Italian and conversation tandem,
  • Digital literacy,
  • Gardening in our social garden and other forms of volunteering,
  • Sport activities and football matches,
  • Socialization opportunities and events.

2. SECOND RECEPTION

The national reception system guarantees accommodation of asylum seekers in the extraordinary reception centers for the whole duration of the legal procedure. Those who get international protection residence permit, can be included in projects of second reception on a local level with accommodation, support and inclusion opportunities.
Institutional reception pathways are not always adequate: once the reception period is concluded, many obstacles persist for refugees and international protection holder. In fact, for many of them, it is difficult to access the housing system and this is certainly due to job precariousness and discrimination: many refugees find themselves in a very vulnerable condition and, very often, they are homeless.
In order to give a real answer to these needs, Popoli Insieme provides a night shelter for adult men holder of international protection permit. It is a temporary home and a safe space for them to lay the foundation of their future: a bridge between life a reception structure and an independent life in a wider community.

People we house and why

Our shelter hosts many single men, some of them have just turned 18. Together with mediator, social workers and volunteers, our guests have the chance to plan their life, search and find a job, assess educational pathways and job placement, improve their knowledge of Italian language.
The topics we face with our guests concern:

  • education
  • work
  • health
  • wellness
  • home

We build individual paths together with the people we accommodate and, once a month, we supervise their progress through an interview with the coordinator and mediator.
International protection holder in vulnerable condition can access the night shelter through an interview at our weekly open desk, every tuesday (18.00-20.00) in our office in via A. Briosco 11.

How we do it

In the second reception structure we follow the principles of the community-based rehabilitation (CBR): this approach, already tested with disabilities, focuses on the active participation of the service users. They are led towards higher autonomy by activating their resources and involving the community in the process.
Unlike in the first reception, where the social workers lead the guests step by step, in the second reception the pathway is built jointly: goals and actions are defined by the guests themselves, in a perspective of participation and responsibility.

You can support a refugee in his path of inclusion and autonomy in Padua!

Find out how, click here!

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