Putting trauma-informed care at the centre of support for refugees

How can organisations that support refugees become more sensitive to trauma and help prevent re-traumatisation? This question guided our third transnational meeting in Cyprus organised in the context of the Caring to Include project. Partners came together to learn from research, to exchange good practices and to agree on concrete next steps.

Why this matters?

Many refugees have experienced hardship in their country of origin, during their journey and after their arrival in Europe. In reception countries, they face increasing hostility, border violence and shrinking access to protection. A trauma-informed approach can reduce the risk of re-traumatisation and help strengthen refugees’ resilience: an important condition for wellbeing and longer-term inclusion and integration.

The organisations participating in the Erasmus+-funded Caring to Include project provide legal and integration support to refugees. Although we are not all mental health professionals, we can still contribute to a safer and more supportive environment by applying trauma-informed approach in everyday service delivery: from first contact – sometimes at border or in detention settings – to the long-term guidance on integration in our offices.

Learning from best practices

On the first day of the meeting, we presented the outcomes of national research carried out in seven countries: Croatia, Cyprus, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Malta and the Netherlands. Together with members of the Refugee Focus Group in Cyprus, we discussed trends and best practices identified in the project’s Comparative Report.

These findings helped to shape the tools we will develop next. All participating organisations committed to placing the core principles of trauma-informed care at the centre of their work: safety, trust, choice, collaboration and empowerment.

Training on trauma

Trauma-informed care is not only relevant to the people we support. It is also relevant to staff. We often do not realise the impact of the stories we hear or of the pressure we endure due to hostile environments.

Toolkit and next steps

In the coming months, we will develop a toolkit based on the needs that were identified during the research phase and the meeting in Cyprus. Two working groups will lead this work:

1. The first working group will develop training and practical materials for staff to better recognise trauma and respond in a supportive way.
2. The second working group will develop an organisational scan and clear do’s and don’ts to help embed trauma-informed principles in policies and procedures.

The toolkit will be finalised before summer 2026 and will be tested in the seven participating organisations. All materials will be shared with the wider NGO community through the Caring to Include Community of Practice and via partner organisations’ websites.

For more information, please contact the Dutch Council for Refugees’ International Program team (E-mail: ip@dcfr.nl).