praesidium (2012)

Health and reception of migrants

Participating Organizations:  Italian Red Cross, Calabria Region, UNHCR, IOM, Save the Children

Action: Praesidium is one of the most important programs in the field of assistance to migrants in Italy, allowing to intercept thousands of refugees over the years 2005-2012. The project involved in the most delicate phases of the reception practice, from the arrival, to the acceptance and initiation of legal procedures, with a focus on psychophysical health care, social assistance and support to family reunification, with particular attention to vulnerable people. The project included a variety of education, information and prevention activities on health with the help of inter-disciplinary working groups.

Challenge: To address mixed migratory flows, a phenomenon for which no organization has an overall organic mandate, an innovative multi-agency model was tested in order to build a coherent strategy and to provide an effective response to the variety of needs.

Inclusive social impact engendered: increased collaboration as a value; higher level of competences among local operators and regional institutions in managing refugees welcoming; reduced time of intervention in case of diseases and critical situations; improved quality of the overall social and health assistance services; improved awareness among beneficiaries about health risks/state, care services and prevention acts.

Methodology: impact assessment on health and well-being through a multi-agency collaborative model.