Welcome Circles in Europe for People Fleeing Ukraine

In response to mass displacement from Ukraine, HIAS Europe launched the Welcome Circles program in May 2022 to enable the community-based reception and integration of people displaced from Ukraine in 12 countries across Europe. HIAS Welcome Circles are groups of volunteers that assist newcomers in accessing housing, education, language classes, work, social services, and other needs. Volunteers are supported by professional integration coordinators in each community, and HIAS completes vetting and background checks of volunteers.

In 2023, Pairity, a research organization that uses data-driven approaches to measure resettlement and community sponsorship outcomes, conducted an interim evaluation of HIAS Welcome Circles in Europe. This fact sheet explores key findings from that evaluation — derived from surveys and semi-structured interviews with beneficiaries, volunteers, and coordinators and reports of professional integration coordinators. The findings shed light on the successes and challenges of these circles so far and how they can improve.