Which of Greece’s NGOs Receive the Most EU Funding?

Thanos Plevris, Greek Minister of Migration and Asylum. Credit: Orestis Panayiotou / AMNA

Greece’s Minister of Migration and Asylum, Thanos Plevris, has made nationalist a elaborate database of 26 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that person received nationalist backing for migration and asylum-related activities. The disclosure, submitted to Parliament, outlines each organization’s allocation and root of funding, portion of a wider authorities effort to heighten transparency successful however European and nationalist funds are distributed.

According to authoritative information from the Ministry of Migration and Asylum, the full magnitude allocated to NGOs moving successful these sectors amounts to €191.7 cardinal ($223 million). The funds enactment programs successful housing, accommodation, psychosocial care, education, ineligible aid, and the societal inclusion of migrants and refugees.

Funding sources and distribution

The bulk of the backing comes from the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) for the 2021–2027 programming period, which accounts for €175 cardinal ($203 million). The money is co-financed by the European Union and nationalist resources.

Additional enactment comes from the European Economic Area Financial Mechanism (EEA Grants) for 2014–2021, which provided €16.67 cardinal ($19.40 million), and from overseas donations and contributions totaling €50,099 ($58,193).

Together, these resources underpin a scope of initiatives focused connected shelter, education, societal reintegration, and extortion for migrants and asylum seekers crossed Greece.

The 26 funded NGOs successful Greece

The Ministry’s study lists 26 NGOs registered nether the authoritative NGO Registry, a model designed to guarantee transparency, accountability, and compliance with fiscal oversight standards.

The beneficiaries and full approved backing are arsenic follows:

1. Praksis (Programs for Development, Social Support & Medical Cooperation): €7,221,243 ($8.39 million)
2. Solidarity Now: €2,092,102 ($2.43 million)
3. Arsis – Association for the Social Support of Youth: €22,481,664 ($26.150 million)
4. Educational Development Pilot AMKE: €365,464 ($425,000)
5. EKPOM Nostos (Organization for the Social and Cultural Support of Repatriates): €12,945,277 ($15 million)
6. Iliaktida AMKE (Lesvos): €18,412,218 ($21.4 million)
7. Metadrasi – Action for Migration and Development: €20,832,142 ($24.2 million)
8. Faros Elpidas (Beacon of Hope): €6,663,873 ($7.7 million)
9. Chania Development Partnership: €139,884 ($161,695)
10. Association for the Care of Minors and Youth: €2,549,714 ($2.9 million)
11. SOS Children’s Villages Greece: €1,498,188 ($1.74 million)
12. Catholic Relief Services (U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops – Greece Branch): €31,804,342 ($36.9 million)
13. Hopeten AMKE: €2,494,876 ($2.9 million)
14. The Home Project AMKE: €9,874,317 ($11.4 million)
15. Epirus Youth Center AMKE: €4,723,430 ($5.4 million)
16. Apostoli AMKE (NGO of the Church of Greece): €1,614,135 ($1.87 million)
17. International Center for Sustainable Development (ICSD): €11,547,236 ($13.4 million)
18. Hellenic Red Cross: €7,609,638 ($8.8 million)
19. European Society for Policy Expression and Institutions (EKPETHE): €9,042,449 ($10.5 million)
20. Zeuxis NGO: €6,354,203 ($7.3 million)
21. Medical Intervention NGO: €4,677,441 ($5.4 million)
22. KEAN (Cell of Alternative Youth Searches): €6,631,584 ($7.7 million)
23. Hellenic Social Emergency Aid Unit: €18,342,750 ($21.3 million)
24. Syniparxis – Ecumenical Refugee Program: €20,899,959 ($24.3 million)
25. The Smile of the Child: €381,653 ($443,858)
26. Dynamis Zois AMKE: €460,192 ($535,198)

The Ministry noted that these figures exclude programs managed straight by planetary organizations, specified arsenic the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), adjacent erstwhile specified projects impact NGO partnerships.

Transparency and accountability measures

Responding to a parliamentary question by MP Dimitris Natsios, Minister Plevris highlighted the government’s committedness to ensuring afloat transparency successful however migration-related backing is managed.

“The nationalist has the close to cognize wherever European resources are directed and who manages them,” Plevris said, emphasizing that the work of the database is portion of a broader effort to fortify nationalist spot and oversight.

According to the Ministry, Greece has already implemented a transparency mechanics enabling citizens to entree information connected allocations, beneficiaries, and programme objectives, marking a large displacement toward unfastened governance successful migration management.

Reforms successful NGO oversight model successful Greece

The authorities besides plans to tighten the rules governing the registration and monitoring of NGOs. Under forthcoming legislative changes, further entities specified arsenic section authorities, world institutions, and societal enterprises whitethorn besides go eligible for migration-related funding, presently constricted to NGOs.

The Ministry intends to heighten the frequence and scope of audits, ensuring that lone organizations gathering rigorous governance and fiscal criteria stay successful the nationalist registry.

Audit and compliance procedures

According to the Management and Control System (Joint Ministerial Decision 19976/2024, Official Gazette B΄4817), each NGO connection undergoes a thorough vetting process earlier approval.

This reappraisal includes checks on:

• The organization’s way grounds and operational capacity
• The relevance of its statutes to the projected activities
• Registration successful nationalist and EU registries
• The transgression inheritance of ineligible representatives
• Declaration of beneficial ownership
• Adherence to nationalist procurement and fiscal compliance rules

Once projects are approved, some administrative and on-site inspections are carried retired to measure fiscal accuracy, method performance, and carnal implementation.

If irregularities are identified, authorities whitethorn enforce fiscal corrections, retrieve funds, oregon revoke the backing determination entirely. All specified actions are published connected the government’s “Diavgeia” transparency platform, accessible to the public.

Furthermore, citizens whitethorn record complaints triggering investigations nether Article 50 of the aforesaid ministerial determination successful accordance with the Ministry’s authoritative Procedures Manual.

Balancing oversight and cooperation

As Greece continues to negociate migration pressures, the government’s absorption connected transparency and compliance marks a caller signifier successful its narration with civilian society. NGOs stay captious partners successful delivering humanitarian aid, education, and integration programs but are present taxable to stricter accountability requirements.

The merchandise of the afloat backing database not lone sheds airy connected however astir €192 cardinal ($207 million) successful nationalist funds are spent, but besides signals Greece’s broader intent to modernize and professionalize its attack to migration governance, combining transparency, oversight, and trust.