Denmark: Venner Viser Vej project

Venner Viser Vej is a successful project run by the two largest NGOs working to support refugees in Denmark, the Danish Refugee Council and the Danish Red Cross.

The project operates via a nation-wide network, built by local volunteers. It offers people who are refugees a “friend” in their local neighbourhood to support them with integration into Danish society. Some participants are refugee newcomers, while others have been in the country for many years.

The goal is to help people who are refugees to understand their new host country better in terms of culture and practicalities, to give them an opportunity to practice their Danish language skills, and to build social networks. In turn, this serves to promote their access to the labour market and education system and to diminish the risk they face of loneliness and isolation.

The project was established in 2016 to support the large number of Syrians newly arriving to Denmark and was again useful in 2022 when the country saw a large number of displaced people from Ukraine. Between those two periods and since, the project has focused on people who have already been in Denmark for several years, after arriving as refugees, but who still lack a strong support network.

Direct beneficiaries of the project are refugees and their families, while Danish volunteers also benefit from new friendships, exposure to other cultures, and training.

Refugees and volunteers are matched by local coordinators from the Danish Refugee Council or the Danish Red Cross, in collaboration with the municipality. Usually, the suggested match will be based on age, gender and family situation. It is open to individuals, couples and families.

New volunteers are offered short courses and guidance on meeting with their refugee ‘match’. Some matches develop into lasting connections: see examples of successful friendship.

The matched pairs usually meet 1-4 times a month: activities including going for walks, playing games, preparing food, doing homework, or informal language practice. The meetings can also be more structured, for example attending regular sports club sessions together or identifying and applying for job opportunities.