What Refugees Welcome does

Refugees Welcome International is a Berlin-based nonprofit association, operating as a sub-project of Mensch Mensch Mensch e.V., that facilitates private housing placements for refugees and asylum seekers across 12 European country chapters. Founded in 2014 after a refugee moved into the spare room of Mareike Geiling and Jonas Kakoschke's Berlin flatshare, the organization operates web-based country-specific chapter websites that allow hosts with vacant rooms and refugees seeking housing to register and be matched by trained volunteers based on shared interests, lifestyle, and living expectations. Since founding, the organization reports housing 2,500+ refugees in private shared flats with local hosts, supported by 450+ active volunteers.

The organization is financed entirely through donations, sustaining memberships, microdonation campaigns, and project grants including from the EU's Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF). All services are provided free of charge to both hosts and refugees, with rent subsidies funded through donations and state support when hosts cannot offer rooms rent-free. Beyond matching, Refugees Welcome runs volunteer coordination, structured internship programs in advocacy and social media management, and policy advocacy initiatives — including membership in the EUAA Consultative Forum and participation in the 5th European Commission Migration Forum — to promote private hosting as an alternative to mass refugee camps.

The network operates through independent country chapters in the Czech Republic, France, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Portugal, and Spain, with additional municipal-level partnerships in cities such as Barcelona, Paris, and Padua. Governance is led by Chairperson Salma Arzouni, General Coordinator Réka Koritár, and country representatives for each chapter. Outreach is conducted primarily through social media campaigns, community events including the annual Week of Living Together and International Meetings, participation in summits such as ChangeNOW 2022, and partnerships with peer organizations including EPIM, Seebrücke, and Tarjimly.

Name

Refugees Welcome

Legal name

Mensch Mensch Mensch e.V.

Website

https://refugees-welcome.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Refugees Welcome International is a Berlin-based nonprofit network operating in 12 countries that matches refugees and asylum seekers with local hosts offering vacant rooms in private flatshares, supported by 450+ volunteers and financed through donations and EU grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Refugee Housing Services

NAICS

Community Housing Services (62422), Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Refugee & Immigrant Support Services (BPAGAEAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Integration & Inclusion Services (Housing, Education, Employment) (BPADAHAI), Cultural Adjustment & Integration Services (intercultural programs, community connection) (EDALANAD), Immigrant & Refugee Community Education (Integration/Navigation) (EDAAAFAH)

Keywords

• Refugee housing matching
• Private accommodation services
• Host matching platform
• Refugee integration services
• Flat sharing network

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Donations and Sustaining Memberships: Refugees Welcome International is a nonprofit association financed primarily through donations. Individuals can become sustaining members through monthly donations, providing planning security for the organization. One-time donations are also accepted via online bank transfer or through betterplace.org. Rent subsidies for refugee accommodation are funded through these donations, state support, and microdonation campaigns.
2. AMIF-funded Project Grants: The organization has received funding from the EU's Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) to support project implementation, documentation, reporting, accounting, and success measurement.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Refugees Welcome International is a nonprofit network that operates a free housing matching platform connecting refugees and asylum seekers with local hosts who have spare rooms in their flats or homes. The organization pairs refugees with compatible hosts based on shared interests, lifestyle, and living expectations, and coordinates volunteer support, rent subsidies where needed, and policy advocacy across 12 country chapters in Europe.

Product overview

Refugees Welcome International operates as a housing matching platform that connects refugees and asylum seekers with local hosts who have vacant rooms. The organization functions as an umbrella network with country chapters in 12 countries. Its core product is a matching service that pairs refugees with compatible hosts based on interests and living expectations, supported by volunteer coordination and advocacy efforts. The platform does not charge for its matching services and relies on donations and volunteer work. Additional services include structured internship programs in Social Media Management and Advocacy, as well as policy advocacy aimed at influencing EU migration and asylum policies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 2,500+ refugees housed in private shared flats since 2014
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

21 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• EPIM (European Programme for Integration and Migration)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEPIM (European Programme for Integration and Migration) is listed as a friend and partner initiative of Refugees Welcome International, collaborating on shared goals of integration and migration support across Europe.
• Fundacja OcaleniecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFundacja Ocalenie is the Poland country chapter of Refugees Welcome, operating under its own brand and website (ocalenie.org.pl). It is listed as a collaboration partner.
• Ajuntament de BarcelonamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAjuntament de Barcelona (City of Barcelona) is a collaboration partner, working with Refugees Welcome Spain on local integration initiatives.
• Ajuntament de SabadellmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAjuntament de Sabadell is a municipal collaboration partner of Refugees Welcome Spain, supporting local refugee integration efforts.
• Ajuntament de SantCugatmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAjuntament de SantCugat collaborates with Refugees Welcome Spain on municipal-level refugee housing and integration programs.
• Ajuntament de CastelldefelsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAjuntament de Castelldefels partners with Refugees Welcome Spain on local refugee integration activities.
• Ajuntament de RubimajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAjuntament de Rubi is a municipal partner of Refugees Welcome Spain for local integration and housing initiatives.
• Fondation de FrancemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFondation de France is a collaboration partner providing funding and institutional support to Refugees Welcome International's programs.
• Ville de ParismajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe City of Paris (Ville de Paris) collaborates with Refugees Welcome, particularly in support of refugee integration efforts in the French context.
• artemissziocoreStrategic or Co-development Partnerartemisszio is the Hungary country chapter of Refugees Welcome, operating as an independent organization under its own brand (artemisszio.hu). Listed as a collaboration partner.
• MiraminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMira is a partner initiative collaborating with Refugees Welcome on shared integration and migration goals.
• Rare Diseases Hub UkraineminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRare Diseases Hub Ukraine is a collaboration partner, supporting displaced persons with rare diseases within the Refugees Welcome network.
• SeebrückeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSeebrücke is listed as a friend and partner initiative, sharing Refugees Welcome International's mission of safe passage and accommodation for displaced persons.
• #aufstehnminorStrategic or Co-development Partner#aufstehn is a partner initiative of Refugees Welcome International, collaborating on advocacy and awareness campaigns.
• Entitat Municipal de ValldoreixminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEntitat Municipal de Valldoreix is a local municipal entity collaborating with Refugees Welcome on integration activities in the Valldoreix area.
• EUAA Consultative Forum (European Union Agency on Asylum)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRefugees Welcome International is a member of the EUAA Consultative Forum, a key stakeholder body facilitating dialogue and cooperation between NGOs, government agencies, and the EUAA on asylum and reception in Europe. This enables direct influence on European asylum policies.
• Municipality of PaduamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIn collaboration with the Municipality of Padua and the University of Padua, Refugees Welcome Italy organized 'The Welcoming City' conference on decentralized and family-based accommodation. This partnership is part of the European project Embracin.
• University of PaduamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with Refugees Welcome Italy and the Municipality of Padua to host 'The Welcoming City' conference, presenting findings from the Embracin European project on family-based accommodation.
• Montreal City Administration (BINAM)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRefugees Welcome International collaborated with Montreal's Newcomer Office (Bureau d'intégration des nouveaux arrivants à Montréal, BINAM), dedicating three organizational experts as consultants. RWI also participated in the BINAM conference through a pre-recorded video and workshop contribution.
• European Investment Bank / DG Home Focus GroupmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRWI participated as a consulted member in a focus group led by the European Investment Bank and the European Commission Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs, exploring financial instruments such as housing loans to enhance integration of third-country nationals in Europe.
• European Commission (5th Migration Forum)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRefugees Welcome International actively participated in the 5th European Migration Forum organized by the European Commission in 2019, contributing to the formulation of ten recommendations that were officially submitted to EU institutions.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• SINGA France: French nonprofit connecting refugees with local hosts through hospitality and cultural exchange. Direct peer operating an overlapping hosting-and-integration model in a key Refugees Welcome chapter country.
• Habibi.WG: A Berlin-based platform that matches refugees with local flatmates, operating the same private-flatshare model as Refugees Welcome in the German market. Highly comparable business model and beneficiary segment.
• JRS/USA Welcome Corps: Private sponsorship and refugee welcome programs that match newcomers with local host families and community groups. Operates a structurally similar hosting-for-integration model.

Emerging players

• Seebrücke: European movement and listed partner initiative of Refugees Welcome that campaigns for safe sea rescue and decentralized reception. Thematically aligned but focused on advocacy rather than flatshare matching.

Broad incumbents

• Caritas International: A large international confederation providing refugee support services across Europe and globally, including housing-related programming. Overlaps on refugee accommodation but operates at much larger scale and broader mission scope.
• International Rescue Committee (IRC): Major global humanitarian organization that resettles refugees, including through community-based hosting programs in the US and Europe. Comparable target population and resettlement philosophy.
• HIAS: International refugee resettlement agency operating welcome programs that match newcomers with local support networks. Operates the same private-welcome thesis at materially larger scale.
• UNHCR: The UN Refugee Agency, which sets global policy and partners with NGOs like Refugees Welcome on reception and integration. Overlaps on the refugee-housing problem space as the dominant institutional incumbent.

Regional players

• Refugee Council (UK): UK-focused refugee support and advocacy organization providing housing-related services to asylum seekers and refugees. Operates a comparable refugee-housing mission in a different national context.

Others

• TARJIMLY: Listed technology partner of Refugees Welcome that provides on-demand translation services to refugees and aid workers. Adjacent ecosystem participant enabling communication within the refugee housing journey.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCIP23-s_wRKC_JBjNsFF_tg
• Facebookfacebook.com/fluechtlingewillkommen
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/refugees-welcome-international
• Instagraminstagram.com/refugeeswelcomeinternational
• Xx.com/FlchtlngWllkmmn

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Refugees Welcome