After 2 years of educating more than 6000 students in 7 countries, CHANGE Environment had its European multiplier event. At the Brussels Migration Museum, JRS Europe and partners shared the best practices that helped the project achieve its results, as well as stressed the existing challenges faced when encouraging action at the intersection of environmental change and migration. The strengths of the projects Alberto Ares, JRS Europe regional director, opened the event with a reflection on the leading role of students in combating both prejudice towards migrants and environmental change. He also highlighted the activistic passion of both students and teachers who participated in this programme. Mikel Aguirre, Education for Global Citizenship officer at Fundación Alboan, took the stage to present the CHANGE Environment curriculum. Beyond walking everyone through the four stages of the curriculum, he underlined the effectiveness of a structured approach that commences by addressing the basic concepts of Environmental Change and then focuses on fostering empathy as a catalyser for action. Afterwards, Nicolas Duquenne from the European School of Brussels 2, shed light on the materials created for teachers. As an educator himself, he expressed his appreciation for the straightforwardness of the materials and the clear indications of the required time and materials, which proved particularly useful for teachers with severe time limitations. Putting the programme in context Patricio Ortiz de la Torre, Head of Sector at the European Research Executive Agency, brought in the institutional perspective. In his speech, he emphasized how impactful environmental change will be to Europe and how crucial it is for reliable information to be made available to everyone. In his view, the programme helps in this task and ultimately it will prove helpful to encourage action. Finally, Colm Fahy (Jesuit European Social Centre), Syed Hasnain (European Coalition of Migrants and Refugees) and Geert Bukkens (Global Environmental Champions) participated in a panel discussion focused on Challenges and possible actions to promote action at the intersection of Environmental Change and Migration. Each panellist had the chance to present their initiatives and share their insights. The Protagonists, the students The central part of the event was the presentations by the students from the participating countries. They brought concrete examples of how the project inspired them to take action locally and impact their community. Present at the event, students from Italy, Hungary, Spain and Belgium showcased the actions they had taken in the framework of the project. The activities included: recording podcasts, achieving biodiversity certifications, drawing comic books, planting school gardens, organizing clean-up days, and debates, leading recycling awareness campaigns, and painting murals. In addition, students from Ireland and Uganda also present through video participation. In their interventions, they shared their experiences organizing tree planting with Refugees, beach cleanups, community gardens and plastic bottle upcycling. Once the event finished, all event participants had the chance to visit the Migration Museum. In addition, the students had the opportunity to visit Parlamentarium and the European Parliament to foster their civic participation.

In the framework of the upcoming World Refugee Day (June 20th), JRS Europe, the Chapel for Europe, Don Bosco International, and Sant’Egidio held an event celebrating the positive stories and best practices with people on the move. Under the title “Voices of Hope”, the event started with Tetiana Romanchenko sharing her story of integrating in Belgium after fleeing Ukraine. She highlighted the difficulties she found along the way, including finding housing or recognition of her doctorate diplomas, but also the multiple triumphs, such as her children learning French and finding friendships in the migrant community in Belgium. Afterwards, Claudia Bonamini (JRS Europe) moderated a round table on best practices on integration with:  Pedro Ayala (Don Bosco), who presented the Salesian Youth project in Oostende and underlined the importance of safe spaces for youngsters. Eliane Maes (Saint Egidio), who highlighted the achievements of the humanitarian corridors that allowed refugees to arrive in Belgium and how it helps open the door to recognising the shared humanity and dispel fears. Geert Bukkems (Global Environment Champions and partner of JRS Europe in the Change Environment programme), who shared his experience on empowering climate refugee activists in the Global South and connecting communities from around the world who are excited to take action on Climate issues. The event concluded with snacks prepared by a refugee entrepreneur from Ukraine and a networking session amongst the participants.

JRS launches “Dear European Parliament”, a campaign to vote for a welcoming Europe The upcoming European Parliament Elections, held between 6 and 9 of June, represent an opportunity for all citizens to use their vote to help co-create the Europe they envision.  In this context, JRS Europe has launched “Dear European Parliament”, a campaign calling on all EU citizens to vote by highlighting how the EU parliament decisions can foster solidarity and hospitality, end migration detention, stop policies outsourcing the responsibility to protect those in need and expand safe and legal ways of reaching Europe. In terms of solidarity and hospitality, the campaign highlights that the current reception system is failing both asylum seekers (by imposing inhumane reception conditions) and Members states (by placing disproportionate amount of responsibility on the countries at the borders of the EU). In contrast, it calls on the European Parliament to question the status quo and create a common hospitality-driven system based on EU values. With regards to migration detention, the message is clear: detaining thousands of people, including children, for their immigration status is harmful and ineffective. The next European Parliament should strongly question the use of such an extreme measure and ask for the implementation of alternatives to detention. The EU and its Member States are increasingly trying to outsource their responsibilities to protect refugees by signing agreements with countries outside the EU who agree to readmit asylum seekers. Many of these countries violate human rights and represent a risk for the people who are sent back. In the face of this worrying trend, the campaign calls on the EU to act as watchdog and look critically into this kind of agreements. Finally, the campaign underlines the lack of legal and safe ways to reach protection in Europe. The procedures and criteria to obtain existing visas do not adapt to the situation of people fleeing conflict or persecution. JRS Europe calls on the next European Parliament to be vocal on the need to expand safe and legal access to protection and to invest in robust reception systems.  The campaign hopes to particularly mobilize young voters by not only raising awareness on these four issues in an engaging and easy to understand manner, but also highlight that there are alternatives and solutions.  Through four short fast-paced videos exploring one topic each, the campaign makes the case for understanding these topics from a human perspective and understand how the European Parliament decisions can spark change around the continent. Videos are available in English, Flemish, French, Polish, Romanian and Spanish and you can access them here: https://jrseurope.org/en/project/deareuropeanparliament/ If you want to learn more about the European Elections and how to use your vote, visit https://together.europarl.europa.eu/    

JRS France: opening of a reception center to take care of asylum seekers at a decisive stage of their journey JRS France (Jesuit Refugee Service) opened at the end of February, in Fontenay-sous-Bois, a place to welcome asylum seekers on the day of their interview at OFPRA, called the Oasis. Sandra Jouandeau, program manager and Guillemette Belpaire, project manager, present this place of respite for tried and vulnerable people. What is the origin of this project? Regardless of where they live in France, all asylum seekers must go to the French Office for the Protection of Refugees and Stateless Persons (OFPRA) located in Fontenay-sous-Bois (94) to have their interview. 'asylum. A few streets further is also the National Court of Asylum (CNDA) which is the second and final recourse when the OFPRA has given a negative response. This interview is a decisive moment where they are very vulnerable . They will be asked to share their life story and relate sometimes traumatic events from their migratory journey, during an interview which can last between one and four hours. The protection officer will determine the veracity of their story, and therefore the possibility of granting them refugee status or not . They then find themselves very alone, without knowing whether the interview will result in a positive response, the response coming several weeks after the interview. To come, asylum seekers travel by bus or train, often the same day, sometimes the night before their interview. Some, without accommodation in the Paris region, are forced to sleep on the streets the day before this decisive step which will decide their future life (refugees or rejected asylum seekers). When they arrive at OFPRA, they are very stressed and tested physically and mentally . Alone or with family, they can arrive at 5:00 a.m., for an interview at 9:00 a.m. or 2:00 p.m., and have no place to rest, take shelter or even eat before this stage. Faced with such situations of indignity and inhumanity, which also undermine the very conditions for exercising the right to asylum, JRS France therefore initiated the project of opening a place of respite in order to allow people to pass this interview in better conditions . By interviewing asylum seekers beforehand, as part of field surveys, several needs emerged: to eat and drink, to take a shower, but also to (re)rest, take care of oneself, to be surrounded. Many spoke of the wish to be able to pray, reflect, meditate before this key stage. What does this place look like and who do you welcome? We have premises of 186 m2 in Fontenay-sous-Bois located 5 minutes from OFPRA. With the expertise and furniture support of AXA , we were able to set up distinct spaces: a herbal tea space where you can eat, conducive to exchanges and informal meetings, a respite space where you can rest, a a meditation space where you can pray whatever your religion, a hygiene and beauty space, where you can shower or brush your teeth, a media library space where art therapy workshops are held. A psychologist is also present on site for more confidential discussions for people facing significant stress . Due to a capacity, we can accommodate around thirty people each day (in the morning and one afternoon per week), among the 400 asylum seekers who undergo interviews each day. This makes it possible to build quality relationships between the people welcomed and the volunteers/employees. Beyond the material services provided there, this space is first and foremost a place where we take care of every person. This project was not done in a day: the reflection was initiated in 2021 – during Covid – with Father Antoine Paumard, Jesuit and former director of JRS. We were able to benefit from a vacant space belonging to the Notre-Dame congregation which was very supportive and patient of this project. We had to understand people's needs, remove regulatory and administrative obstacles, build a team, find resources... We partnered with the French Red Cross which brings its operational know-how , its human, health and social resources, and completes the support for asylum seekers with the presence of a psychologist but also an art therapist who makes it possible to offer artistic activities. JRS linked and brought together all the stakeholders in the project . One or the other of us is present three days a week on site as coordinators. The project benefits from strong mobilization since more than fifty volunteers responded. We have established a debrief time at the end of each volunteer service, with a replay of the moments experienced, valuable for the teams. Here we live, concretely, the values ​​of JRS, which are those of welcome, listening and human attention.

Focus on education as the key for social inclusion. JRS Europe held its Regional Coordination Meeting and Annual General Meeting in Bucharest focused on “Social Inclusion: An Educational Approach”. Gathered in the Regina Carmelului convent, representatives from the 23 country offices, the regional office, and the international office discussed updates on the ongoing projects as well as brainstormed possible new endeavours. The meetings also provided the opportunity to build up capacities in the team by sharing knowledge and best practices through workshops on supporting education for refugees, building stronger NGOs for times of crisis and navigating the news & digital landscape. Alberto Ares Mateos SJ, regional director of JRS Europe, highlighted: “JRS tries to come together every year to grow in this spirit of being a family and to answer together to the new opportunities and challenges. We also want to say thank you to all of our teams because all together, we are here to keep hope alive”. While the Regional Coordination Meeting brought together directors and country managers to discuss high level strategy, the Annual General Meeting allowed JRS workers of all seniority to exchange ideas and experiences. Beyond capacity building, this annual exercise also helps keep hope alive within the network when dealing in challenging contexts and continue with our mission. Bianca Albu, from the JRS Romania office, explained: “The most important lesson for me is that we are a strong network and that we share a common feeling of brotherhood. We are accomplishing our mission in different ways but always having in mind that we serve refugees and that we accomplish day by day the will of God”. Throughout the meeting, there were discussions on the role of the mission of JRS Europe within the broader family of JRS and the Society of Jesus. Dalibor SJ, President of the Jesuit Conference of European Provincials, present at the meeting underlined: “JRS is for us not any organization but a network and a community. A network because it connects European Jesuit provinces. And a Community because these are people who are motivated by the desire to those who are in need”. Meanwhile, Nacho Eguizabal SJ, deputy director of JRS international, expressed: “I have witnessed how lively and creative the region is becoming being able to respond to a crisis like the war in Ukraine and, at the same time being very active in the preparation of the European Elections.” With the hope replenished and new ideas brewing, each colleague returned to their office with renewed energies to continue working towards a Europe where human rights, protection, hospitality, integration, and reconciliation all have a place to flourish within a larger vision for inclusive and welcoming societies.

Since the start of the war in Ukraine, the organizations of the Jesuits have served and accompanied 100.765 people fleeing violence. Coordinated by JRS Europe and the Xavier Network, in collaboration with NGOs and local partners, the Society of Jesus has provided emergency aid, shelter, psychosocial support, education, and integration, among other services.  “Since day one, we have been accompanying refugees fleeing the war with a coordinated holistic response in Ukraine, neighbouring countries, and across Europe. While it might not be on newspapers covers anymore, this crisis is still unfolding, and we are committed to provide long term support”.  “Our hearts are filled with hope from the many testimonies of both refugees and host communities that embrace solidarity and integration. They continue to show us that in a context full of pain, stress and sorrow, hope is still alive. We are immensely thankful to the continuous solidarity of many generous people, foundations and organizations who trust in the work of the Society of Jesus”.  As the emergency continues, the needs of the refugees have evolved, and the response has adapted. While during the first year more than half of the support activities were aimed at short-term and emergency aid, in 2023 that has dropped to 17%. Meanwhile, medium-term activities, such as housing and education, have more than doubled from 20% to 52% in 2023. However, the biggest increase was in long term accompaniment, more than tripling from less than 10% in 2022 to 31% in 2023.  The One Proposal, which was presented in July 2022 after an in-depth needs assessment, encompasses a wide range of services to be provided to an originally projected 73,168 people over the course of 3 years. Since then, it has been continuously revised and expanded with yearly needs assessments.  It addresses the needs of forcibly displaced Ukrainians across Europe, from immediate humanitarian response and emergency assistance in Ukraine and its neighbours, to long-term programmes to promote and integrate refugees. Therefore, it will benefit internally displaced people, refugees of Ukrainian nationality and refugees of other nationalities, displaced by the conflict in Ukraine.  The report, as well as dozens of stories of the people being helped through the One Proposal, are available at jrseurope.org/en/project/the-one-proposal/. You will find a summary and testimonies in the attached factsheets. You can also find more information about how to donate and/or take action to help refugees and other forcibly displaced people.  We remain united in working together on this common response in Ukraine, as well as on other common projects where we accompany, serve and advocate for so many refugees and forcibly displaced people across Europe.