Athens, Greece – 28 May 2025 – After nearly a decade of offering vital medical, psychosocial, and social-legal support to migrants, asylum seekers, and refugees in Greece, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) will close its Athens Day Care Centre (DCC) on 30 May 2025.
The DCC was opened in 2015 in response to the urgent humanitarian needs during the peak of the EU migration crisis, as over one million people arrived in Greece seeking refuge from conflict, persecution, and instability. Since its inception, MSF’s multidisciplinary team —including medical staff, legal experts, and social workers —have provided free, comprehensive, and inclusive care regardless of patients’ legal status—offering services ranging from primary healthcare and sexual and reproductive health to mental health support, chronic disease management, and legal and social assistance.
Over nine years, the Day Care Center provided more than 14,900 primary- and Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) consultations, 51,859 Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) services, 24,475 mental health (MH) sessions, support to 1,289 survivors of sexual violence, and 3,026 social work consultations—addressing both immediate medical needs and long-term wellbeing. At its peak in 2016, Athens received thousands of new arrivals fleeing conflict; while annual arrivals (50,000–60,000) remain significant, they no longer reflect the crisis levels of that year.
Over the years, the DCC evolved to meet the changing realities of migration in Greece, expanding services and intensifying advocacy efforts as access to healthcare became increasingly restricted by policy changes. During moments of crisis—from the 2016 EU-Turkey deal to the COVID-19 pandemic—MSF adapted to protect and treat the most vulnerable, including people excluded from the health system, survivors of sexual violence, and undocumented individuals.
Having fulfilled its emergency response in Athens and extending beyond what was planned, MSF is now closing the DCC in line with its medical-humanitarian role, guided by needs assessments and focused on urgent, time-bound interventions. We now encourage civil society and national actors to take over and continue this vital work, even as global challenges—including reduced humanitarian funding and worsening reception conditions in Greece—continue to affect people on the move.
MSF urges the Greek State and the EU to respect their legal and humanitarian obligations for the protection of asylum seekers, recognized refugees and migrants especially regarding the right to asylum, access to healthcare, decent reception and living conditions and fair administrative procedures.
While MSF has transitioned medical services to some local actors, donated stocks of essential medicines —including those for non-communicable diseases– to social pharmacies, and nonprofits, and handed over responsibilities to partners, we remain active in Greece with medical projects in Samos, Lesbos, and Leros. As a medical emergency organization, MSF stands ready to respond to future crises and continuously assesses services to better support vulnerable people.
