Italy

Since the beginning of our activity, we have combined the effort into the most vulnerable countries all over the world with the activity of awareness in Italy, concerning the themes of cooperation and development. In order to face the refugee crisis in 2015, we started integration and job creation programmes for asylum-seekers and beneficiaries of international and humanitarian protection, and we created the Network refugees, which includes more than 25 associations, committed to migration issue.

Since 2019, we have been involved in programs of assisted voluntary return, even due to our involvement in the main countries where the migration journey starts.

Our willingness to start projects to encourage the integration of the beneficiaries of international protection in Italy, is inspired by the experience with the refugees in the world, either in the countries where the migration flows started or in the transit and destination countries in Africa, Middle East and South America. Those projects have been funded by private institutions and carried out in five regions (Lombardy, Emilia-Romagna, Latium, Campania and Sicily), in partnership with third-sector entities above all with companies.

The integration of migrants through job creation:

The assisted voluntary return with reintegration (RVA & R) is an option available for the migrants who lie on the national territory irregularly, or want to come back to their home country at the end of their migration experience. We are involved in two projects with CIR (Italian Council for refugees) and CIES (Information and Education Centre for development), which are both financed by the National programme Fami (Asylum and migration fund and integration of UE). Moreover, in addition to the activity of outreach and support for the migrants in Italy, AVSI branches abroad or AVSI local partners take care of welcoming returnees in 20 different countries.

The programme consists of:

A few weeks after the start of the war in Ukraine (February 24, 2022) AVSI took action to help people in Ukraine, on the border and in Italy. In Italy, the very first initiative to help people fleeing the war in Ukraine was the creation of an information and coordination point to centralize support services for Ukrainian refugees and to network those who offer help and those who need it. The initiative then found a home in a space in Milan on May 16, 2022 the Help Ukraine HUB was inaugurated in Viale Monza 79, now the headquarters of AVSI for community.

AVSI for community is a multiservice center designed to respond to the needs of migrant people in Italy. An inclusive and proximity space in Milan. A place of exchange and meetings for the whole community.

Every year AVSI proposes awareness and fundraising initiatives through the Tents Campaign. The idea came to light at the end of the ‘80s under a “tenda" (tent), hence the name, arranged by a group of volunteers to support our projects in Africa. Every year, more than 900 events are organized, 273 groups composed of 1,683 volunteers with whom AVSI is in direct contact, part of a network of more than 3,000 people.

The Distance support program gives the opportunity to the students, not only to face with solidarity first hand, but also to know the world of cooperation and its protagonists through meetings with our international staff or with the children supported (remote meetings). The project and all its correlated activities are arranged by teachers, in order to insert in the students’ career the themes of integration, tolerance and global citizenship education.

AVSI is authorized by the Italian Commission for International Adoptions with offices in Milan, Cesena, Florence and Naples. AVSI adheres to “Oltre l'adozione”, the organization of authorized entities for the subsidiarity of the international adoption.