Your protection, health and safety are important principles of the European Solidarity Corps. The page below is about the European Solidarity Corps. Volunteers must be selected in a fair, transparent and objective way, regardless of their gender, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, political opinion or disability. If you face racism outside the project, you should go to the police and inform the organisations. As a volunteer, you embrace the values of solidarity, respect for human dignity and human rights, the promotion of a fair and equal society based on pluralism, non-discrimination, tolerance, justice and equality. Our guide on what the European Solidarity Corps (ESC) is explains the programme.
Last updated: November 2026.
What are your rights in the European Solidarity Corps?
You should have the opportunity to learn in a safe environment which respects and protects your rights, your physical and emotional integrity, your mental health and your wellbeing. These rules protect you:
🛡️ Protection: each organisation participating in the European Solidarity Corps must have in place effective procedures and arrangements, including repatriation (your return home) in case of unexpected security crisis, to promote and guarantee the safety, protection and non-discrimination of the participants in their activities.
⚖️ Fair selection: volunteers must be selected in a fair, transparent and objective way, regardless of their gender, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, political opinion or disability.
🤝 Dignity: the participating organisations must ensure participation conditions that respect your personal health, safety and dignity.
The European Solidarity Corps Guide says discrimination linked to gender, age, ethnicity, religion, beliefs, sexual orientation, disability, or intersectional factors (a combination of two or several of these kinds of discrimination) can create barriers. Our guide on inclusion support explains the support for young people who face barriers.
Who do you tell first?
Talk first to your mentor, then to your support (sending) organisation, and if needed to the National Agency. If a conflict situation arises, you may ask your mentor to help communication between you and the local environment or the host organisation. If you have a conflict with your mentor, you can ask the participating organisations to appoint another person as your mentor. You should know in advance who is the contact person in case of emergencies, conflict situations in the host project and conflict situations with the mentor. In practice the support organisation is the organisation that speaks your language and knows the situation in your country when something goes wrong abroad. Our guide on when a project goes wrong covers the full order, our guide on the ESC mentor explains that role, and our guide on the support organisation explains who to contact at home.
Can you make an official complaint?
Yes: you should take your complaint about a specific project to the National Agency or directly to the European Commission. Communicate in writing by email rather than by phone or messaging apps, and keep emails and screenshots. Our guide on National Agencies explains what the National Agency does.
What if you face racism outside the project, in the street?
If you face racism outside the project, you should go to the police and inform the organisations. 112 is the European emergency phone number, available everywhere in the EU, free of charge. You can call 112 from fixed and mobile phones to contact any emergency service: an ambulance, the fire brigade or the police. Operators in many countries can answer the calls not only in their national language, but also in English or French. Our guide on safety tips for volunteering abroad covers more situations.
Can you leave the project?
Yes: in the event of a serious incident or conflict situation that cannot be resolved in other ways, you can leave the project, but this should always be the last resort and should be agreed with the National Agency. Before deciding to leave, try other solutions first (a change of tasks, support from the mentor, mediation), and never end a project without telling your sending organisation. Our guide on what happens if you quit early explains what happens next, and our guide on mental health and wellbeing abroad covers support for you.
Frequently asked questions
Can I be rejected because of my religion or origin?
No: volunteers must be selected in a fair, transparent and objective way, regardless of their gender, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, political opinion or disability.
What if the problem is my mentor?
If you have a conflict with your mentor, you can ask the participating organisations to appoint another person as your mentor. Our guide on the ESC mentor explains that role.
Who should know if you face racism outside the project?
If you face racism outside the project, you should go to the police and inform the organisations.
Where do you go from here?
Our guide on the volunteering agreement explains the rights and responsibilities in your contract. The Youth Works Hub pages below cover the next steps.
Related pages: when a project goes wrong · inclusion support · the ESC mentor · National Agencies · what happens if you quit early · the volunteering agreement
👉 ESC projects: youthworkshub.org/?tab=esc-projects
