National Emergency Response Mechanism (NERM) in Greece
About this good practice
The National Emergency Response Mechanism (NERM) of the General Secretariat for Vulnerable Persons and Institutional Protection (GSVPIP) of the Ministry of Migration and Asylum was launched in 2021 with the support of UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, in Greece and has been institutionalized. The purpose of the NERM is to identify and immediately refer and place a homeless unaccompanied child or a child living in precarious conditions in emergency accommodation facilities. NERM includes a 24/7 tracing line, for identifying and tracing children in need. The tracing line provides guidance to children, citizens, local and public authorities on steps and actions to be taken from the point of identification of an UAC until his/her timely inclusion in emergency accommodation. NERM is also tasked with the placement of the children in special emergency accommodation facilities and facilitating the relevant identification process, when necessary. Under this initiative, children are provided with material and psychosocial support, interpretation services, and safe accompaniment when outside the accommodation facilities, including representation during registration procedures with the authorities, through Mobile Units, and Information Desks. A procedure for the proper registration and protection of unaccompanied and separated children from Ukraine arriving in Greece has also been established since the end of March 2022, as the General Secretariat mobilized the NERM for these cases, as well.
Resources needed
The multiple components of NERM, are supported by UNHCR, EUAA, IOM and the EU. It's operation on the ground is carried out through NGOs. Since January 2023, funding for NERM was secured through the EEA GRANTS (3 m euro). Funding is important for the initiative beyond end date which is 30.04.2024.
Evidence of success
Since the initiation of the project, the NERM has received 10.172 calls, of which 730 children at risk have called on their own, which proves the direct impact of the tracing line. Further NERM innovative measures and achievements, include as well an identification / registration procedure so that no unaccompanied child remains "invisible", the information desks that not only assess, but also follow up the individual cases, two mobile units and emergency accommodation units (200 places).
Potential for learning or transfer
Learning opportunities regarding unaccompanied minors relate to the management of accommodation and relocation requests, conduct and evaluation of hosting facilities and supervised apartments, support with regards to social integration and safeguard of their institutional protection. Moreover, the Helpline and the Mobile Units in the field ensure that children are never exposed to the dangers of abuse or exploitation in the streets, assist in finding and protecting unaccompanied minors that are homeless or in other precarious living conditions, provide access to immediate accommodation and immediate registration with the competent authorities, offer psychological, legal, and medical support and interpretation, as well as the "Best interest assessement." It is crucial the contribution of NERM as a coordinator of the action plans and services of government and private organizations with regards to key focus areas such as accommodation, health, education and employment for minors.