The Greek Council for Refugees (GCR) is a non-governmental, non-profit organisation founded in 1989 and the oldest organisation in Greece exclusively dedicated to the protection and integration of refugees, asylum seekers and stateless persons.
GCR works from a human rights-based and gender-sensitive approach, providing a wide range of services tailored to the needs of people seeking protection and support in Greece. Its expertise includes legal aid and strategic litigation, including representation before Greek and international courts; psychosocial support and case management, particularly for women and children; support for survivors of gender-based violence and trafficking; family reunification; and integration support through education, housing and employment counselling.
GCR brings together a multidisciplinary team of approximately 40 full-time staff. The organisation also works with a network of trained volunteers and students through formal placements and internships.
With activities across Greece, GCR reaches more than 5,000 people each year, working with diverse urban and border communities. Its support particularly responds to the needs of people facing multiple and intersecting vulnerabilities, including single mothers, survivors of violence, undocumented and stateless persons, and children.
For more than three decades, GCR has played a longstanding role in Greece’s asylum and reception landscape, addressing gaps in protection and support services while contributing actively to national and European policy development. GCR is the national partner of the European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE) for AIDA reporting and works closely with international and national partners, including UNHCR, IOM, Save the Children, Oxfam, refugee-led organisations such as the Greek Forum of Refugees, municipal authorities and refugee communities.
GCR also leads the regional implementation of the HELIOS+ integration project in four Greek regions: North Aegean, Western Greece, Peloponnese, and Eastern Macedonia and Thrace. Through HELIOS+, GCR provides services including career development, access to social services, language and communication skills training, housing and independent living support, and community engagement.
GCR has extensive experience in mapping learning and support needs, developing multilingual and accessible materials, and fostering inclusive participation, with particular attention to women experiencing multiple forms of exclusion, including survivors of violence, single mothers and undocumented women. Its methodologies in family-based learning, peer mentoring and community outreach are adapted to local contexts and designed to strengthen participation, empowerment and sustainable integration.
Building on its long-standing presence, multidisciplinary expertise and strong partnerships, GCR contributes to initiatives that promote inclusion, participation, empowerment and equal access to opportunities, while ensuring that activities are relevant to local communities and capable of generating sustainable impact.