Welcome Circles: Europe

In response to mass displacement from the conflict in Ukraine, HIAS Europe launched the Welcome Circles program in May 2022 to enable the community-based reception and integration of people displaced from Ukraine. Across Europe, Jewish communities responded enthusiastically to the call, with communities in 12 countries helping Ukrainians relocate and find a way to rebuild their lives.

HIAS Welcome Circles were groups of Jewish volunteers who assisted newcomers in accessing housing, education, language classes, work, social services, and other needs for a minimum of 6 months (a period that was often extended until self-sufficiency was achieved.) Unlike traditional sponsorship programs, Welcome Circles in Europe worked with multiple families because of the large number of displaced Ukrainians. Volunteers were supported at every step by professional integration officers in each community, while HIAS ensured volunteers were vetted and offered training to ensure the best assistance possible.

Research showed that Ukrainians supported by HIAS Welcome Circles experienced positive integration outcomes overall and achieved at least partial self-sufficiency. Additionally, Welcome Circles helped Ukrainians create meaningful connections inside their new communities. Refugees and other people who are forced to flee carry with them psychological trauma and a heavy emotional burden, but the supportive networks that Welcome Circles provided helped them feel safe again and avoid isolation.

The Welcome Circle model was so successful because it acknowledged both that refugees know their needs better than anyone else and that locals have expert knowledge on how things work in the host country, creating the best environment for Ukrainians to thrive away from home.