Refugees 🕊️
Archival photograph from a refugee support volunteering project in northern Greece.
Explore opportunities to volunteer with refugees and asylum seekers through organisations providing practical assistance, education, community support and humanitarian services. Volunteer roles may involve food distribution, organising donated supplies, teaching, translation, administration or helping with community activities.
Some positions require professional qualifications or previous experience, while others involve supervised practical tasks. Not every role includes direct contact with refugees, and many older opportunities in this archive may no longer be available.
Who is a refugee? 🕊️
A refugee is someone who is outside their country and needs international protection because of persecution, conflict, violence or other serious threats covered by applicable refugee definitions. Refugee status does not necessarily depend on formal recognition. An asylum seeker is someone seeking international protection, while internally displaced people have been forced to leave their homes without crossing an international border. For further information, consult the UNHCR glossary.
Volunteering in refugee support projects
Local associations, grassroots groups and humanitarian organisations may need volunteers to prepare meals, sort clothing and essential supplies, assist with community centres, support educational activities or help with logistics and communications.
Other projects involve specialised services such as healthcare, legal assistance, interpretation or psychosocial support. These roles may require recognised qualifications, relevant experience and additional training. Check the actual responsibilities and eligibility requirements before applying.
Respect, privacy and safeguarding
People seeking protection should be treated with dignity and respect for their privacy. Ask for informed consent before photographing or sharing personal stories, and follow the organisation’s safeguarding and confidentiality procedures.
Volunteers should work under appropriate supervision, respect professional boundaries and never replace qualified staff in medical, legal, counselling or child protection roles. Projects involving children or other vulnerable people require particular care.
How to use this page
Check each listing’s publication date and confirm current recruitment, volunteer responsibilities, required skills, languages, supervision, working hours, accommodation, meals and any fees or expenses directly with the organisation.
Before travelling, check local security conditions, visa and immigration requirements, insurance and the organisation’s instructions. Do not travel to a refugee camp or emergency location without prior agreement and proper coordination.
Publication on Voluntouring.org does not constitute verification or endorsement of an organisation, its safeguarding procedures or the safety and availability of a placement.
Related opportunities: Human rights · Grassroots volunteering · NGOs
Last reviewed: October 2026.
Browse volunteer opportunities with refugees 🕊️🤝
Browse the listings below for refugee support, community assistance, education and related humanitarian activities. Many announcements are historical, so always confirm that the organisation is still recruiting and that the position remains available.
Do you represent an organisation supporting refugees or asylum seekers and have a clearly defined, properly supervised volunteer role? You can submit your opportunity to Voluntouring.org for editorial review.
