- We conducted an international survey together with our partners to explore the participation and sense of belonging of young people with refugee backgrounds across four countries. The report is available on ERC’s website.
- In May, in cooperation with the local organisation Nusaned in Lebanon, we distributed more than 16,000 food portions to 4,900 people. Read more on ERC’s website.
- As of the end of May, we have provided cash-based assistance in Ukraine to more than 337,400 people, enabling war-affected people to purchase essential goods and medicines.
- We organised a range of language learning and integration activities across Estonia, involving both young and older people with refugee backgrounds.
- In Armenia, a joint event was held to support the rights and cultural heritage of refugees living in Gyumri.
- We are building the DigiCap network of experienced digital specialists to address challenges related to digitalisation in the humanitarian sector and to support humanitarian organisations in improving the efficiency of their work in complex crisis situations. The project is funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Luxembourg.
Ukraine
We provide cash assistance, which allows people affected by the war to purchase food, medicines, hygiene products, and other essentials. In May, we assisted more than 3,300 people worth nearly 733,700 euros. As of now, we have provided cash-based assistance to more than 337,400 conflict-affected people. Cash assistance is provided for 3–6 months. Registration is carried out through Estonian Refugee Council's local registration points or via the online application platform. Currently, our focus is on assisting those in need in frontline areas in Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, Luhansk, Kharkiv, Sumska, Dnipropetrovska, Mykolaivska and Odeska and Kherson oblasts. The programme is supported by the European Union, the US Government, the Ukraine Humanitarian Fund, and the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Acted is the lead partner for EU and US-supported projects.
We support livelihood activities related to agriculture, livestock, food production, and various services through emergency assistance, with the aim of strengthening people’s self-reliance. The support amount is around 700 euros. In May we shared 219 grants across five oblasts – Zaporizka, Dnipropetrovska, Poltavska, Kirovohradska, and Cherkaska. Since February, we have shared 492 grants altogether. The programme is funded by the European Union and the US Government.
We run entrepreneurship programmes to help people affected by war create sustainable sources of income for themselves. We support new and existing businesses in Poltava, Cherkasy, Dnipro, Kirovohad, and Kharkiv oblasts. In May, we gave out 66 business grants worth more than 297,700 euros. As of today, we have distributed a total of 307 grants for both existing and new businesses worth more than 677,700 euros. The project is developed in partnership with Acted and supported by the US Government.
At the end of May, we concluded the psychosocial support hotline programme that offered mental health support to Ukrainians living both in Ukraine and abroad. Within a year, 6,780 calls were made to the hotline. Read articles with hotline consultants Olena and Olha on the ERC website. The work of the NPA Psychological Hotline is implemented in partnership with the National Psychological Association of Ukraine and made possible thanks to funding from ESTDEV – Estonian Centre for sInternational Development.
Estonia
Through the Language Ladder programme, we support Ukrainian refugee youth in language learning and social integration. In May, young people visited the Aidu Quarry and the Oil Shale Museum. Weekly practical language group sessions continued in Pärnu, while supplementary Estonian language classes for lower secondary school pupils took place in Kohtla-Järve and Tallinn. A new language group for adults was launched in Jõhvi. As part of the project, we also run the MindSpring group-based mental health support programme for young people with refugee backgrounds, helping them adapt to life in a new country. A new MindSpring group started in Jõhvi in May. Read more about the first quarter of 2026 and the “invisible language learning” methodology used in the project on the Estonian Refugee Council’s website. The project is being implemented in collaboration with Tallinn University and the Polish organisation Dobra Fabryka. Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Social Fund Agency. Neither the European Union nor the Granting Authority can be held responsible for them.
The refugee youth-led project Youth Pulse has been launched, focusing on building a community in Tartu where both young people and older residents come together. Through a range of activities, the project develops and strengthens intergenerational relationships to help newcomers adapt more easily. In May, a joint cooking event was organised to celebrate Mother’s Day, offering participants an opportunity to spend time together, prepare delicious food and enjoy the dishes they had made as a group. Watch the TikTok created by the young people themselves here. Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them. The project is supported by the Estonian Agency for Erasmus+ and the European Solidarity Corps from the Erasmus+ programme.
We conduct monthly adaptation support training sessions on various subjects, including use of e-services, parenting, education system, adaptation of pensioners, legal matters, entrepreneurship, medical and social system, labour market, as well as legal foundations and residence permits. In May, 184 people took part in trainings. The most popular sessions focused on legal topics, including questions related to the extension of temporary protection and the rights and opportunities associated with different residence permits in Estonia. This was followed by a seminar on the steps required for people with refugee backgrounds from Ukraine to submit employment record data electronically to the Ukrainian Pension Fund. Since 2022, a total of nearly 14,400 people have participated in these trainings.
We organise regular group activities and community events across Estonia. Regular language cafés continued in Tallinn, the language-learning programme, Language Roulette, also continued. As part of the language learning programme, participants visited the Estonian Folk Culture Centre in Viimsi, where they learned how to bake traditional black bread and gained a closer understanding of Estonian cultural heritage. An active programme for older participants also continued, supporting the integration of people with refugee backgrounds in Estonia. The programme provides a safe environment for social interaction, sharing experiences and acquiring practical skills. With the support of donations collected among members of the British-Estonian Chamber of Commerce, we also help strengthen the sense of community and support the integration of people with refugee backgrounds. For example, in May, young people in Tartu visited a youth centre, where they learned about its activities and the opportunities available to young people.
In cooperation with the Integration Foundation, we are giving seminars to strengthen the capacity of local governments in the fields of migration and integration. In 2026, seminars took place in Haapsalu, Pärnu, Võru, Valga, Kärdla, Põlva, Põltsamaa, Kuressaare, Tallinn and Tartu. Cultural sensitivity training sessions have been held in Pärnu, Tallinn and Tartu. In total, 14 seminars and training sessions have been carried out across Estonia in the first half of the year. The project is co-funded by the European Union through the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) and the Ministry of the Interior.
In cooperation with the Integration Foundation, we began organising various events across Estonia to increase the civic engagement of third-country nationals, including beneficiaries of international protection. The aim is to strengthen mutual understanding and trust, and to help third-country nationals cope better with everyday life and participate more actively in society. In May, a meeting was held with the Women’s Voluntary Defence Organisation, where participants learned, among other things, about crisis response and first aid. Project no. AMIF.1.02.23-0005 “Cooperation activities to increase the civic engagement of third-country nationals, including beneficiaries of international protection” is co-funded by the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF).
As part of the Refugee Councils United for Youth project, we are developing international cooperation in youth work with the Finnish Refugee Council, the Irish Refugee Council and the Danish Refugee Council’s youth organisation. The aim of the project is to strengthen the capacity of refugee councils in different countries to involve young people with refugee backgrounds in their activities, thereby increasing their civic engagement. An overview of the study on youth engagement and sense of belonging, conducted in winter, is available on the Estonian Refugee Council’s website. The project is funded by the European Union’s Erasmus+ programme.
We provide counselling by appointment at the Estonian Refugee Council office (Vambola 6, Tallinn) every day from 10 am to 5 pm. Our information hotline is open to all refugees, as well as institutions and individuals assisting them, at +372 5881 1311 (Monday to Friday from 10 am to 5 pm), and via email at counselling@pagulasabi.ee.
Armenia
Hydroponic greenhouses established at three schools in the Tavush region of Armenia help introduce water- and energy-efficient agricultural solutions developed in Estonia. Through the programme, we support schools in adapting to climate change and ensuring food security in water-scarce conditions. We also promote children’s environmental education and increase students’ engagement in agricultural and environmental topics. In May, the an extracurricular programme concluded in three schools, where students presented what they had learned and the produce grown in school greenhouses. Read more about the programme on ERC’s website. The programme is funded by the Ministry of Climate of the Republic of Estonia.
Thanks to funding from the European Union, we have launched four community councils so people with refugee backgrounds can voice their concerns and take part in decision-making processes that affect them. In May, Yerevan and Gyumri councils organised a joint event promoting the rights and heritage of refugees in Gyumri. It combined a business fair featuring enterprises run by displaced people, including self-help group members, with a concert by Nagorno-Karabakh ensembles. All four community councils are now in the implementation phase of their initiatives. In May, two self help groups completed in Masis and Martuni, with 15 and 12 participants. The call for livelihood grants is currently open. The programme is funded by the European Union.
We aim to strengthen Armenia’s green business ecosystem and promote circular economy principles through non-formal entrepreneurship education in public schools. Together with partner organisations, an agribusiness education game and extracurricular learning module will be developed, piloted in schools, and promoted for nationwide use. The project will introduce game-based learning methods, improve environmentally sustainable entrepreneurship education, and strengthen the capacity of education providers to deliver it. The programme is funded by ESTDEV – Estonian Centre for International Development.
Lebanon
The Estonian Refugee Council launched a humanitarian aid response in Lebanon in cooperation with the local organisation Nusaned, in order to ease the deepening humanitarian crisis caused by the armed conflict and to support people in the most vulnerable situations. We will distribute hot meals, food parcels and essential basic items to internally displaced people, particularly families with children, older people and people with disabilities. During May, we distributed more than 16,000 food portions to 4,900 people. The programme is supported by the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.