GREECE: LESBOS DETENTION CENTER

Tags

Balkans, detention, exilés, Greece

The Pagani detention center on the island of Lesbos, one of the most unworthy of Greece, was closed in 2009 after a long struggle inside and outside the center and numerous reports about the conditions there.

A reception and identification center opened near the village of Moria last autumn. Those arrested remain there a short time. A detention center – pre-removal center in Greek terminology – has just been built beside it, financed at 75% by the European Union. People can be locked up to eighteen months pending deportation – the time may be extended beyond 18 months following a recent decree.

https://goo.gl/maps/LZ6Uo

To follow the situation in Lesvos:

http://lesvos.w2eu.net/

 

 

GREECE: THE COST OF DETENTION

Tags

Balkans, detention, exilés, Greece

Greek detention centers are usually discussed in terms of human rights violations and reception conditions unworthy. A study of the detention center Amygdaleza focuses on economic efficiency. It puts next investment expenditure and operating with equipment that does not meet the minimum standards set by the Committee for the Prevention of Torture of the United Nations, or the first two years of operation of the center, only 27.9% are returned to their country, 28.5% do not have to be there because they have sought asylum and can not be returned, and 48.6% are not returned.

The report (in English) can be downloaded here.

 

 

BULGARIA: A JUDGMENT OF THE COURT OF JUSTICE OF THE EUROPEAN UNION

Tags

Balkans, Bulgaria, detention, European Union, exilés

The function of the Court of Justice of the European Union (ECJ) is to monitor compliance with the law of the EU. His judgments are jurisprudence on the interpretation of the right of EU and therefore broader than the country directly affected by the case that was brought before it scope – here Bulgaria.

A Sudanese national was arrested in Bulgaria because he had no identity document and placed in detention for deportation. The tribunal decided at the request of authorities extend detention on the grounds that this person does not have an identity document, he might be hiding and prevented his deportation. The ECJ held that this decision was contrary to the “return” directive 2008: the fact not to have an identity document is not in itself a valid reason to extend the detention of a person.

The ECJ ruling is available here (in French):

http://curia.europa.eu/juris/document/document.jsf;jsessionid=9ea7d2dc30d5687cbd8f276f439c96d5802246cd9ed3.e34KaxiLc3qMb40Rch0SaxuNbxr0?text=&docid=153314&pageIndex=0&doclang=FR&mode=req&dir=&occ=first&part=1&cid=96640

The press release of the ECJ is available here (in English):

http://curia.europa.eu/jcms/upload/docs/application/pdf/2014-06/cp140080en.pdf

 

 

GREECE: CONTINUE THE VIGILANCE

Tags

asylum, Balkans, detention, exilés, Greece, human rights

In the follow-up to the decision of the European Court of Human Rights MSS v Belgium and Greece, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe noted that Greece still does not meet the European standards of asylum procedure and detention of asylum seekers and migrants, and concludes that must continue to be vigilant and monitor the situation. This decision of the ECHR had played an important role in stopping deportations of asylum seekers to Greece under the Dublin Regulation III (Dublin II at the time).

https://wcd.coe.int/ViewDoc.jsp?id=2199769&Site=CM&BackColorInternet=C3C3C3&BackColorIntranet=EDB021&BackColorLogged=F5D383

 

 

CYPRUS: REFUGEES IN HUNGER STRIKE

Tags

asylum, Balkans, Cyprus, exilés

Cyprus places non-EU foreigners and particularly refugees in a particularly precarious situation. Access to nationality, labor market and other rights is indeed hampered for persons granted refugee status, and this can last for years.

Refugees are currently on hunger strike and thirst to request either the Cypriot government to grant them nationality or UNHCR to resettle in another country.

http://kisa.org.cy/recognized-refugees-demand-access-to-human-rights/

A petition of support can be signed here:

http://tiny.cc/9m4hhx

 

 

GREECE: CORINTH DETENTION CENTER

Tags

Balkans, detention, exilés, Greece

An article describing the conditions in the detention center of Corinth, where part of the detainees are on hunger strike against the extension of their detention for an indefinite period, which shows also the stakes of a detention system increasingly akin to a concentration camp system.

French on the website Okeanews:

http://www.okeanews.fr/20140615-corinthe-les-camps-concentration-grecs

 

 

GREECE: HUNGERSTRIKE IN CORINTH’S DETENTION CENTER

Tags

Balkans, detention, exilés, Greece

Since February 2014, a Greek government decree allows the continued detention of individuals beyond the maximum of 18 months set by the Greek and European legislation. Protests multiply in detention centers. Inmates from the center of Corinth began a hunger strike on June 9.

http://goo.gl/maps/20LaF

Information in English on the Infomobile website:

http://infomobile.w2eu.net/2014/06/09/hunger-strike-against-18-detention-in-corinth-detention-centre/

and in French on Okeanews website :

http://www.okeanews.fr/20140612-greve-faim-camp-detention-corinthe

The open letter from the detainees :

“Letter from the detainees:

Many undocumented refugees were arrested by the Greek authorities since a year and a half (August 2012). The massive controls and arrests were realised in a very racist and cruel way. People were brought in detention centres all around Greece. Without going into a lot of details about the bad situation that we, all these refugees, went through, our only fault was that we didn’t have a piece of paper.

When the detention centres were opened the Greek government published a law where the maximum detention period of a refugee was 6 months. Then they increased the detention period to a 1 year, then to 1 1/2 years and this is the maximum period that the Greek law allows today.

But then suddenly some weeks ago they even increased the detention duration to open end periods!!!!! This step was a racist decision. It is injustice. The aim of this is only to stop us refugees from coming to Greece, us whom we left our countries due to our suffering. Now we are forced to suffer in Greece.

With the systematic and open end detention the Greek government is massacring us. They are wasting our lives and killing our dreams and hopes inside the prisons. All of that while none of us has committed any crime.

Most of us are having severe health problems: both physical and
psychological. Specially those who stayed already more that 18 months are in a devastating state and desperately need support.

Today on 9.6.2014 we people detained in the detention centre of Corinth have started a hunger strike. We feel an immense pressure due to our unknown destinies. We protest against the illegal extension of the detention duration to more than 18 months!”

 

BALKANS: THE HUMAN RIGHTS IN QUESTION

Tags

asylum, Balkans, exilés

Mamadou Bah obtained refugee status in Greece in 2012. Threatened by the neo-Nazi party Golden Dawn, he left Greece to Belgium, where he has obtained refugee status. First, Belgium recognizing the failure of the authorities of a country of the European Union to protect a person to whom they have granted asylum:

http://balkans.courriers.info/article25041.html

In Germany, the Stuttgart Administrative Court has cancelled the decision of the German authorities to deny refugee status to two roma people of Serbia, recognizing the reality of discrimination and persecution in this country:

http://serbie-droitshumains.blogspot.fr/2014/06/tribunal-de-stuttgart-en-serbie-les.html

In both cases, a victory of law over arrangements between governments that grant patents of respectability to the detriment of people fleeing persecution.

 

 

BULGARIA: AT THE EUROPEAN BORDER

Tags

Balkans, border, Bulgaria, exilés, refugees

On the website lemonde.fr, two visuals on the border area with Turkey and about the situations of the exiles (in French) :

http://www.lemonde.fr/europeennes-2014/visuel/2014/05/30/la-frontiere-bulgare-zone-tampon-de-l-europe_4422307_4350146.html

http://www.lemonde.fr/europeennes-2014/visuel/2014/05/30/les-naufrages-de-bulgarie_4421477_4350146.html

 

 

GREECE: A REPORT ON RACIST VIOLENCE

Tags

Balkans, exilés, Greece, racism

Written by Médecins du Monde Greece and the Greek Council for Refugees, “Enough! National Report on racist violence” examines the phenomenon from cases and testimonials, describes an insufficient legislative framework and lead to proposals to the authorities.

You can download the report here.