KISA was founded in 1998 and is the leading national organisation providing essential services to migrants who are disadvantaged and are at risk of poverty and social exclusion. KISA’s activities are focused in the fields of Migration, Asylum, Racism, Discrimination and Trafficking, and they include campaigning and awareness raising as well as lobbying and advocacy in order to influence the legal and structural framework, the policies and practices in these fields. and reform of the immigration and asylum framework in Cyprus.
KISA operates a Migrant and Refugee Centre that provides free information, support, advocacy and mediation services to migrants, refugees, victims of trafficking and racism / discrimination and ethnic minorities in general, as well as promotion of the empowerment and self-organisation of migrants and refugees. The combination of activities of social intervention and the operation of services as well as the strong ties and mutual trust with the migrant and refugee communities enable KISA to have a very accurate and updated picture about the realities in its areas of work.
KISA cooperates with various other stakeholders and independent institutions related to its scope and objectives at national, European and international level, such as the Commissioner of Administration (Ombudsman) and Human Rights (National Human Rights Institution), the Authority Against Discrimination and Racism and the Equality Authority operating under the Ombudsman’s Office, the Commissioner for the Rights of the Child, the European Committee Against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI), the Human Rights Commissioner and GRETA of the Council of Europe, CEDAW and CERD Committees of the UN, ILO and others.
KISA is also a very active member and participates in European and international NGOs and networks such as the EC’s European Integration Forum, FRA’s Fundamental Rights Platform, the EU Civil Society Platform on Trafficking in Human Beings, ENAR (European Network Against Racism), PICUM (Platform for International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants), EAPN (European Antipoverty Network), EMHRN (Euro Mediterranean Human Rights Network), UNITED for Intercultural Action, Migreurop, AEDH, and others. Usual funding sources: European programmes and projects, contributions and donations by its members and friends as well as funds from private donors, foreign missions in Cyprus and international organisations. KISA also receives small-scale funding from government departments and semi-government organisations in Cyprus for specific projects. KISA, which has some 250 individual members, is governed by the Steering Committee elected for a 2-year period by the Annual General Meeting.
For futher information, visit www.kisa.org.cy
