Caixa d'Enginyers joins the UAB's refugee inclusion project
The UAB's refugee support programme (Programa Acollida) is a poineering experience in interventions at the level of a comprehensive support system for refugees within the university which since October 2016 and until March 2018 will include some 50 young refugees, who will live at the UAB Vila Universitària.
The agreement signed with the Caixa d’Enginyers Foundation represents 15,000 Euros in aid and will help to consolidate the programme in 2017.The refugee support programme at the UAB is designed to contribute to the full integration of people requesting international protection and residing at the UAB campus. The programme works to bring the university community together to participate in the development of actions focused on receiving and accompanying refugees. At the start of 2016 the project became a reality thanks to the collaboration between the UAB's Solidarity Foundation and the Catalan Committee for Refugee Aid to foster actions aimed at granting full autonomy to refugees through an inslusive action model.
The people benefiting from this programme are those who have applied for internationa protection from Spain. They come from different countries and are currently in the first reception phase, in which their request for asylum has not yet been decided upon. Taking into consideration the characteristics of a university campus as a reception centre, the people who apply for asylum are also young people without any familial responsibilities.
During 2017 three groups of 16 people (October 2016-March 2017; April-September 2017; October 2017-March 2018) will participate in the programme. The project includes the collaboration of 39 volunteers (university students, administration staff, and lecturers and researchers).
The main actions conducted have been to create a reception plan guaranteeing full acces to all services and resources tahnkd to the creation of a residential unit on campus; support to achieve this integration through a network of volunteers helping in language and psycho-social issues, academic promotion and raising awareness of this reality through conferences, workshops, etc.
The agreement signed with the Caixa d’Enginyers Foundation represents an aid of 15,000 Euros which will help consolidate the programme this year. A new line of work will also begin thanks to the collaboration agreement and will focus on support and guidance towards the labour market. A personalised itinerary will be created with the aim of finding work through guidance actions and professional training.