Many countries are experiencing humanitarian migration on an unprecedented scale. Efforts towards the coherent, long-term and comprehensive strategies that maximize the benefits of migration must be continued. The key to maximizing the benefits of immigration is the successful integration of migrants into their host societies.

To this end, the Greek Fund for the Integration of non-EU immigrants (EIF) has sought to promote European cooperation, with the objective of granting equal rights, responsibilities and opportunities for all.

The Ministry of Interior in the framework of the National Strategy on Integration, has financed - through the European Integration Fund - the integration of third country nationals, including fifty-nine projects in the field of integration, of a total budget of 9.584.777 €, between 2008 and 2013.

Projects such as of Intercultural Mediation (Training Programs for Intercultural Mediators, Intercultural Training Programs for civil servants in selected hospitals of the country, or for the staff serving in local government and in municipal police) have facilitated communication between immigrants and civil servants, thereby reducing cultural misunderstandings and promoting a harmonious society and non discriminatory access to public services.

The key –components and overall targets of all the actions of the Greek Fund were:

• Interculturalism & promotion of cultural diversity in the Greek society. Towards this direction, the celebration of “Immigrant’s Day”, an action of every Annual Program, has become a crossroad of interaction for different cultures interlocking with the Greek culture. The cultural events on “Immigrant’s Day” contributed into bridging the cultural identities of T.C.Ns with those of the host society, in order to avoid discrimination, negative stereotypes, xenophobia and social exclusion. Furthermore the events on the “ Immigrant’s Day” advanced the promotion of creation of a spirit of understanding and acceptance between the indigenous population and the immigrants
• Empowerment of immigrants and Promotion of immigrants’ active social participation in order to facilitate their social integration. Information campaigns addressed to T.C.Ns on their main fields of interest such as health, housing and education, innovative educational programs of the Greek language, projects on offices providing legal and administrative support to T.C.Ns and projects on the Technical Support to Members of Migration Integration Councils (MIC), increased the participation of TCNs in the integration process and the interaction at local level by promoting the social cohesion and the harmonious society.

More extensively the Actions of the Greek Fund during the Annual Programs regarding diversity, immigrants empowerment and cooperation between indigenous population and immigrants are the following:

ANNUAL PROGRAMME 2007

• 1.1/2007 Information campaign through printed material addressed to third country nationals on their main fields of interest such as health & housing, entrepreneurship and education
• 1.2./2007 Information and awareness raising of the host society through a campaign to be launched by the Media and the organization of a meeting with a view to avoiding eventual anachronistic stereotypes, phenomena of racism and xenophobia, promoting diversity, the value of interculturalism in the Greek society and tolerance for diversity 
• 1.3./2007 Program of the Greek language and history courses for immigrant mothers.
• 1.4/2007 Innovative educational program of the Greek language learning through music and songs for migrants’ children beyond the levels of the existing educational system

ANNUAL PROGRAMME 2008

• 1.6/2008 Organization of a race, a football tournament between Greek football teams and third country nationals’ teams, as well as a cricket tournament among third country nationals’ teams.
• 1.7/2008 Information campaign through printed material addressed to third country nationals on their main fields of interest such as health & housing, entrepreneurship, education, everyday issues and promotion of the value of interculturalism.
• 3.1/2008 Programs of training of civil servants dealing with third country nationals or handling issues related to them.
• 3.2/2008 Programs of intercultural training of civil servants dealing with third country nationals or handling issues related to them in hospitals of the regions of Attica and Thessaloniki.
• 4.1/2008 Pan-European Conference on “Good Practices on volunteering aimed to the empowerment of immigrants”.

ANNUAL PROGRAMME 2009

• 1.3/2009 Cultural event on “Immigrant’s Day”
• 1.4/2009 Technical support of Councils on Immigrant Integration. 
• 1.5/2009 Information campaign for the promotion of the smooth integration of immigrants in local societies. 
• 1.8/2009 Information campaign aimed to sensitize public opinion as well as inform female third country nationals of coping with cases of trafficking, domestic violence and sexual harassment.

ANNUAL PROGRAMME 2010

• 1.1/2010 Information and awareness raising campaign of the host society. 
• 1.2/2010 Legal and administrative support for third country nationals legally residing in the country.
• 1.3/2010 Assistance to immigrant communities on how to get organized into associations and federations.
• 1.6/2010 Creation of a printed multilingual Guide for Preventive medicine to inform and sensitize immigrants.
• 1.8/2010 Program of the Greek language and history courses to immigrant parents.
• 1.9/2010 Program of the Greek language and history courses for illiterate immigrants.
• 1.11/2010 «Museum Education- cultural programme for immigrants’ children and organization of an exhibition».
• 1.12/2010 Festivals on immigration and integration.
• 1.13/2010 Art and Interculturalism

ANNUAL PROGRAMME 2011

• 1.1.a/2011 :  Offices providing legal and administrative support and Printed and electronic information material on legal and administrative issues for T.C.Ns.
• 1.1.c/2011 Creation of Mixed youth centres.
• 1.2a/2011 Technical support to the Migrants Integration Centers (MIC)of all municipalities in Greece,  training program for MIC  members regarding the operation of the Councils and networking MIC members, exchange of good practices, between MIC  members.
• 1.2.c/2011 Events taking place at neighborhood level
• 1.2.d/2011  Interactive awareness-raising campaigns at schools for migrants and Greek students and parents.
• 1.4a/2011 Festival of Cultures
• 1.4b/2011 Video-stories of Migrants life
• 1.4c/2011 Equality through culture: athletic programs and competition for migrants kids
• 2.1.a/2011  Mapping of the structures that provide integration services to T.C.Ns. and writing down of the structures needs  
• 4.1/2011 Development of cooperation networks between Councils on Immigrant Integration and other local Authority agents and immigrant associations’ representatives at a European level.

ANNUAL PROGRAMME 2012

• 1.1.a/2012 Offices providing support to third country nationals on discrimination incidents

ANNUAL PROGRAMME 2013

• 1.1.c/2013 Program for supporting Migrant Integration Councils (MIC) in order for them to be able to plan and implement integration actions at the local level
• 1.1.e/2013 Interpretation and intercultural mediation in one- stop shops which issue residence for TCN’s in the Decentralized Administration Units of the country
• 1.1.f/2013 Information, awareness and counseling program for immigrant mothers
• 1.2.b/2013 Anti-discrimination awareness raising campaigns at school
• 1.4.a/2013 Art crossroads
• 1.4.b/2013 Radio broadcasts on issues related to immigrants, as well as reproduction and wide distribution of structured printed, audio and audiovisual material
• 1.4.c/2013 Promoting creative activities of toddlers in current structures of nursery schools with a view to enhancing interaction between immigrant and native children
• 3.1.c/2013 Intercultural training of civil servants of the Ministry of Public Order and Citizen Protection aimed at raising their awareness on discrimination because of race, national origin and gender
• 4.1/2013 Development of cooperation network between Member States on issues of interreligious dialogue and the exercise of religious practices

The migration surge has become a highly sensitive political issue, generating intense political and public debate and exacerbating pre-existing weaknesses in immigration systems. While integration systems have substantially improved in many countries in recent decades, much remains to be done to make sure that refugees become fully integrated members of society. Countries have to help refugees , migrants and their children to find their place in the labour market, education system and society at large by launching and promoting clearly targeted, co-ordinated and comprehensive policies in order to achieve the goal of the harmonious society.