This document summarizes several digital initiatives to support refugees in Europe. It describes initiatives that provide digital solutions to address refugees' priority needs, including infrastructure, education, identity, health and inclusion. It also outlines several programs that provide ICT training and language learning opportunities to refugees, with the goal of helping them integrate and find jobs. Examples include coding programs in Germany, Belgium and Italy, as well as language learning apps and online courses made freely available to refugees.

1. Overview of some digital initiatives
for refugees in Europe
Stefano Kluzer, Pane e Internet (Ervet S.p.A. Bologna)
Telecentre Europe’s Annual Conference
Ghent, 6-8 October 2016

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Introduction
Voices of Refugees (UK BBC, July 2016)
A study and a film about refugees’ communication behaviours and
their priority information needs in three areas: on their journey, in
“transit” camps in Greece, and in Germany
Based on interviews with 79 refugees and 45 humanitarian actors.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediaaction/publications-and-
resources/research/reports/voices-of-refugees

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Digital solutions for refugees’ needs
Techfugees https://techfugees.com
Digital solutions to address refugees’ 5 priorities (in transit and
host countries): infrastructure, education, identity, health and
inclusion. They organise donation campaigns, conferences and
hackathons to bring together people from tech industry in Europe,
U.S. and Australia. Launched by Mike Butcher, editor-at-large for
the website TechCrunch.
Basefugees http://www.basefugees.com A web-based, open source
platform, with a curated directory of projects that matches
technology solutions to NGO “challenges”. Aims to solve real-world
problems faced by refugees and keep people from duplicating
efforts (e.g. there are 5-10 “Airbnbs for refugees” in Europe).
Geecycle http://www.geecycle.org, created at the TechFugees Hack in
London to recycle and donate unused smartphones to refugees.

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ICT training for refugees
43,000 open IT-jobs in Germany
Kiron (DE) https://kiron.ngo
Blended courses using MOOC content in 4 study tracks: Business &
Economics; Engineering; Computer Science; Social Sciences. Students
(Sept 2016) > 1,500 displaced people.
Organised the ICT4Refugees conference in Berlin 31/05/2016
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsDbzhB5yco&feature=youtu.be
ReDI School of digital integration (DE) http://redi-school.org
Non-profit school for tech-interested newcomers applying for
asylum in Germany. Coding skills to create job opportunities and
economic empowerment. Projects born among ReDI’s students:
- Let’s Integrate https://letsintegrate.de/en -> 250 meetups in Berlin,
expanding to Frankfurt and Hamburg from October 2016
- Bureaucrazy https://www.facebook.com/Bureaucrazy.de/
crowdfunding for APP to translate German forms into Arabic and
English + map of public office + FAQ

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ICT training for refugees
Capital digital (BE) https://capitaldigital.be/
16-20 year old migrants and asylum seekers from Brussels’ poorest
neighborhoods are trained in technical and pedagogical skills to teach
coding and programming to younger 10-12 year kids in a playful way.
This should enhance the teenagers’ interest in IT careers and job
chances and encourage the children to enjoy and improve their IT
skills.
The online suitecase (Pane e Internet, Italy)
Workshops with asylum seekers in Emilia Romagna to develop
DigComp’s “information” and “communication” competences through
the creation of an “online suitcase”, accessible from a smartphone and
other digital devices, with relevant digital resources about “myself”,
“where I live now”, “the wider world”.
Late 2016 – mid 2017

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Digital services to help refugees
Ankommen APP (Google Play and iTunes) designed by the German
Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) to help
newcomers during their first few weeks in Germany -> 174,000
downloads
HelpTo http://potsdam.helpto.de/en born in Potsdam, website for
donating or asking for goods and services
Scotland Welcomes Refugees
http://www.scotlandwelcomesrefugees.scot Website created by
the Scottish government to collect offers for practical support,
donation or hosting an event for/about refugees

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Language learning opportunities
Babbel gave out 12,000 free annual subscriptions to its mobile app
service (€6 a month) to study German (from 14 languages, not
Arabic)
Busuu in September 2015 started offering for free its German and
English language Premium courses to Arab-speaking refugees
(the voucher code only works if you use the App with an Arabic
interface)
EC from July 2016 extended the OLS platform (Online Linguistic
Support http://erasmusplusols.eu/ols4refugees) to the benefit of
around 100,000 refugees over 3 years, on a voluntary basis and
free of charge, through intermediary organisations. Courses
include self-paced modules and “live coaching" interactive
activities (online MOOCs, tutoring sessions and forums).