Volunteering for Refugees and Asylum Seekers in Greece

Abstract

Since 2015 the massive refugee influx has challenged European countries in terms of tackling one of the largest movements of displaced people through European borders since the World War II. Greece became the major entry point by sea receiving massive inflows of refugees and asylum seekers arriving in the Greek shores. While European leaders debated on how to deal with the refugee crisis and traditional donors delayed funding, the role of volunteers has been instrumental in covering basic and urgent needs. Based on a hybrid approach of sociological and political determinants, the study enriches the scarce empirical evidence on volunteering specifically for refugees and asylum seekers, by portraying the profiles of volunteers providing solidarity to refugees and asylum seekers fleeing repression and conflict zones to seek safety in Europe.