Displaced people

Welcome newcomers, support nonprofits, create lasting alliances

Armed conflicts, economic crises, climate change – the events leading to migration are devastating, and unfortunately, long-lasting. According to the office of the High Commissioner for Refugees, close to 80 million people are currently subject to forced displacement. 85% of refugees move to developing countries, the others attempt to settle in rich countries, particularly in Europe. Crossing the Mediterranean is the world’s most dangerous itinerary for migrants: since 2014, over 20,000 people have died trying to cross it, around a third of whom were children and teenagers.

In France, as in other countries around the world, nonprofits and individual citizens have mobilized to give refugees a dignified and humane welcome. Fondation de France supports their commitment.

Launched in 2015, Fondation de France’s Migrant Solidarity program aims to support projects that help exiled populations, no matter what their origins, their religion, or their legal status. Since the program started, Fondation de France has supported over a hundred projects that help migrants integrate successfully in their new countries, namely France, Lebanon and Jordan.

The projects are carried out by civil society organizations, with the support of the Fondation de France.

In France, there are two main approaches:

• offer the most fragile psychological support, as mental health is a precondition to social integration;
• support citizen actions for displaced people by offering support to nonprofits in rural areas or medium-sized towns. Volunteer training is also a priority, in particular, for teaching French and offering legal aid. 

Internationally, the main goal is to give young people hope again, through psycho-social support, educational activities, training and access to the labor market.

In parallel to calls for projects, the Migrant Solidarity program assists key actors in the sector through long-term support. Some of the nonprofits that benefit from this program include Gisti, Comède, Parcours d’Exil, and the Migrant Support Platform.