Earlier this month, our member Diaconia Valdese announced the opening of a social and legal helpdesk in Ventimiglia (IT), as part of its project “Open Europe”. This initiative carried out together with Oxfam Italy and Caritas Intemelia, aims at protecting migrants and asylum seekers stranded in border areas who do not have access to social services. In this context, Diaconia Valdese and Oxfam Italy support migrants in defending their rights, gaining access to welfare and fighting the negative media narrative through awareness raising projects.

National policy developments and a decrease in migrant arrivals have reduced the numbers of migrants in transition between France and Italy. Diaconia Valdese’s newly established helpdesk aims to accompany, guide and inform marginalised individuals in the area by:

  • Supporting them in writing CVs, find suitable job offers and send job applications to enter the labour market;
  • Supporting with the renewal of residence permits;
  • Compiling and sending citizenship requests;
  • Legal assistance
  • Cultural mediation.

You can find more information on the new helpdesk at Open Europe official website.