According to a statement of the UNHCR, the Greek Rescue Team was chosen “for its unrelenting efforts to save refugees in distress at sea” and Efi Latsoudis “for her compassion and care to the most vulnerable refugees arriving on Lesvos”.
 
“Their efforts characterize the massive public response to the refugee and migrant emergency in Greece and across Europe, in which thousands of people stood in solidarity with those forced to flee, and the humanity and generosity of communities around the world who open their hearts and homes to refugees” the UNHCR concluded.
 
Volunteers with HRT last year carried out 1.035 rescues, saving 2.500 lives, and assisting more than 7.000 people to safety. “We lived absolute horror. There were many casualties, among them many children, which is the thing that affects you most” Mitragas said.
 
During the peak of the crisis, PIKPA where Efi Latsoudis volunteered, which had the capacity to take in 150 people, was hosting some 600 refugees daily and distributing more than 2.000 meals. “For me supporting refugees is not something exceptional, it's something that we have to do” Latsoudi, a trained psychologist and human rights activist, said in a statement.
 
HRT and Latsoudi will each receive 67.000 euros in prize money – to use to fund a project that compliments their existing work – at a ceremony in Geneva on October 3.
 
The Nansen Refugee Award honors extraordinary service to refugees and outstanding work on behalf of the forcibly displaced. The Nansen Award was established in 1954 in memory of the Norwegian Arctic explorer and first High Commissioner for Refugees in 1921, Fridtjof Nansen and it is awarded on an annual basis. The aim of the prize is to draw attention to the difficulties faced by refugees and to encourage international assistance and cooperation.