MOSAICO – Action for Refugees is an association for social promotion, not related to any political party or political association, born in Turin in 2007 by a group of refugees from various countries. So far are part of it refugees, foreign immigrants and Italians, or people who work in this area or are interested. The association, based on the principles of social solidarity, is committed to these goals:

– Supporting refugees and their families in their path of integration into local society, with an approach towards empowerment and awarness of their own rights

– Spreading and promoting correct informations and wider knowledge about the issue of forced migration, both through a constant research work adn thorugh awarness campaigns, workshops and conferences

– Promoting and supporting the creation of local, national and international network of knowledge and good practices on the issue of forced migration

The Association’s activities can thus be divided into three main fields:

Actions for and with refugees
In this context, the Association aims at being a reference point for asylum seekers and refugees in the area , with an information supportive desk as regards legal practice, the process of inclusion, career guidance, support in difficulties including family reunion. These activities are carried out in collaboration with others dealing with the theme: UNHCR, Amnesty International, Foreign Office of the City of Turin, ASGI (Association for Legal Studies on Immigration), ENAIP (Ente Nazionale ACLI Professional Education), Frantz Fanon Centre for the psychological health care. The association also organizes summer camps aimed at children of refugees, who often arrive in Italy following a request for family reunification: involve them in group activities such as summer camps means giving them the ability to create new relationships, learn foreign counterparts and Italians in a game environment, as well as informative, with clear values​​, improve the knowledge of Italian language and create the conditions for a more rapid and successful integration into Italian society. The Association also participates actively in institutional non-profit networks to debate the subject e.g.Tavolo Rifugio della Città di Torino concerning SPRAR (Protection System for Asylum Seekers and Refugees) projects, and the Coorddinamento di Associazioni Non Solo Asilo, born in Torino in December 2008 in response to the difficult situation of refugees in the city area.

Research and training
MOSAICO is committed to facilitate the exploration and study of issues related to forced migration, through a Centre for Documentation and Research on asylum that would collect and systematize printed materials, audio-visual on this, produce material for study and research and to serve as a reference point for training courses and exchanges for students, researchers, practitioners, institutions and citizenship. This activity also comes from the knowledge, gained from field work in recent years, thatdoes exist an evident demand for structured information and points of comparison and analysis, absent in the regions of North-West of Italy.

Rising awareness
MOSAICO works to rise awareness on the territory to all the issues related to Refugees Policies, to contribute to the dissemination of correct information on being asylum seekers and holders of international protection in Italy. The Association also works to build and strengthen the network of agencies, institutions and people working in this field. In particular, since 2007 MOSAICO organizes, in collaboration with UNHCR and other local associations, events for the World Refugee Day, on June 20th, that has become an important moment of discussion and study on the issue of asylum in Turin.