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Higher risk for immigrants and unaccompanied children in Greece

13 October 2009 / 14:10:49  GRReporter
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The European Union needs to pressure the newly elected Greek government, in order to stop the abusive detentions and summary expulsions of immigrants, including children. Necessary is the urgent reform of the system for sanctuary documents, alarmed the Human Rights Watch report.

In the period between June and August of this year Greek police arrested hundredths of immigrants throughout the whole country, evicting them from run-down dwellings, bulldozing a makeshift camp in Patra and prevented new refugee arrivals. Some of them live outdoors, “like animals in the jungle” says an immigrant in Patra. Many unaccompanied children were sent to camps in northern Greece, close to the Turkish border. Independently of whether they are children or adults, when arrested the police gives them a 30 notice to leave the country but they don’t have any means to do that. Children are left without papers and left to roam.

From camps in northern Greece, where immigrants without papers are temporarily held, the Greek police secretly takes tens of immigrants at night, including children, to the Turkish border and pushes them to enter. “Illegal deportation in Greece has passed to a new level,” says Simone Throller researcher at Human Rights Watch, “right now they are arresting immigrants all across Greece and are after that pressing them to go to Turkey. Obviously people, who need protection are not safe in Greece.” The non functional asylum system in Greece is entirely in the hands of the police, who create obstacles for filing asylum claims and more than 99% of asylum seekers are denied after the first interview. Immigrants are waiting all day and night for months in front of the central Athens police offices, in order to enter and file their documents.

In July the previous government found a way to abolish asylum appeal procedures, a standard requirement under European and human rights laws. This act placed children and adults under threat to be deported to places, where their security is under question. Human Rights Watch interviewed 16 persons, who were arrested near the northern border of Greece in the period between July and September and two of them describe how they were forced to cross Maritza river and to enter Turkey. After that the Turkish authorities send them back to Afghanistan. Eight people testified that they saw Greek police loading immigrants into trucks and busses at night and sending them away from the arrest centers. Four of them say that the ones taken away by bus have later gotten in touch with other immigrants and said they were sent off into Turkey.

According to testimonies, not only the ones held close to the Turkish border were sent off. The police also expels potential refugees and unaccompanied children, arrested in other parts of the country. Except for the testimonies about illegal expulsion, immigrants talk about living in crowded rooms, where hygiene is an unknown word, not having enough to eat and not having a doctor. Even though the asylum system in Greece does not correspond to any European laws and international human rights standards, the European Commission remained silent and failed to hold Greece to account. “With e new government in place, ending this abuse, protecting migrant children, and reforming asylum practices, should be urgent priorities for Athens and for Brussels,” also said Throller.

Tags: Immigration Refugee Asylum Immigration in Greece Human Rights Watch
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