www.mihub.eu Page | 2 The Role of Social Workers in Reception and Accommodation Centers in Cyprus Social workers at the Reception and Accommodation Centers for Asylum Seekers in Cyprus take on a multitude of responsibilities aimed at providing comprehensive support to asylum seekers. Konstantinos Chrysostomou, Head of Social Services at CODECA's Reception & Accommodation Centers, describes the main duties of social workers at these centers, the most common challenges they face in their daily work, and how they support asylum seekers for their effective integration into society. Additionally, he discusses the importance of collaboration with other agencies and organizations to address the needs of asylum seekers and explains what supportive services mean. Initially, the primary responsibilities of social workers involve providing psychoemotional and counseling support to address the anxiety and trauma caused by their displacement. Specifically, as Mr. Chrysostomou notes, social workers handle individual cases, offering personalized psycho-emotional support as well as explaining the procedures being followed, while monitoring their progress. They also inform asylum seekers about their rights and obligations, asylum procedures, and available resources, helping them adjust to their new host community. They organize educational programs, language classes, and cultural activities for social integration, while advocating for the rights of asylum seekers, promoting fair treatment, and access to essential services. The challenges faced by social workers are multifaceted and include language and cultural barriers that create communication problems, which are exacerbated by a lack of interpreters. Additionally, asylum seekers often carry psychological trauma from wars or violence encountered in their countries of origin, which requires specialized support that is complicated by limited resources. There are also times when overcrowding in existing centers leads to a lack of infrastructure, potentially
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