GREECE: STORY OF LEONIDAS THEOCHARIS

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Balkans, European Union, exilés, Greece

The Balkans is a region of interest in terms of migration. Passage region, sometimes completion, of migration came from outside of Europe, as such marked by European policy who want to lock. Region of emigration, not always welcome, often stigmatized, to the European Union. Fragmented region between EU member and non-EU, members or not of the Schengen area.

Greece sees itself as a country of emigration rather than immigration. Yet the turn of the years 1990 – 2000 saw not only the return of many emigrants, but also several regularization waves of undocumented workers, who had their place in the Greek economy.

Today, with the crisis, Greeks depart again in diaspora. But with the development of subcontracting and posting of workers, they may be treated like undocumented immigrants.

In France Inter’s broadcast 3D,” L’Histoire de Leanidas Theocharis” (in French):

http://www.franceinter.fr/emission-3d-le-journal-histoire-de-leonidas-theocharis

 

EUROPEAN UNION: INCREASE IN ASYLUM SEEKERS FROM THE BALKANS

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asylum, Balkans, European Union, exilés

The European Union is confronted to the contradictions of its policy vis-à-vis the countries of the Western Balkans (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia). On the one hand a very restrictive immigration policy that significantly limits the possibilities of going on diaspora. The other a policy of rapprochement and a concept of stability in the region that leads to condone violations of human rights. Asylum seekers from these countries are considered as bogus asylum seekers and their countries of origin are supposed to prevent them from coming out and seek asylum in the European Union.

In fact, the number of asylum seekers from these countries is increasing according to the last Eurostats’ paper.

In French on Le Courrier des Balkans website :

http://balkans.courriers.info/article25757.html

The Eurostats paper in English :

http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/cache/ITY_OFFPUB/KS-QA-14-011/EN/KS-QA-14-011-EN.PDF

 

THE EUROPEAN UNION IN FRONT OF THE ASYLUM SEEKERS FROM THE BALKANS

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asylum, Balkans, European Union, exilés

The number of people from the Western Balkans seeking asylum in countries of the European Union continues to increase, despite the concerted policies between the EU and the countries of departure, a sign that the situation is not improving there. Germany and France are leading this fight against “false asylum seekers“, “false” because politically we do not want them.

Articles (in French) on the blog Serbie Droits Humains :

http://serbie-droitshumains.blogspot.fr/2014/07/allemagne-et-france-renverront-les.html

and on the Courrier des Balkans website :

http://balkans.courriers.info/article25332.html

 

 

 

TURKEY: NECOCIATIONS WITH THE EUROPEAN UNION

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Balkans, European Union, exilés, Turkey

Negotiations of the EU with neighboring countries are not on an equal footing, or in a spirit of cooperation around objectives commonly defined. Those with Turkey are no exception.

Turkey made for many years the choice to facilitate access to its territory for a short stay: Nationals of most countries of the world can come here without a visa. The European Union wants to make Turkey a buffer state slowing the arrival on its soil of “migrants”, mainly potential refugees. The currency exchange is the possibility for Turkish nationals to enter the European territory being exempt from short-stay visa. To achieve this, Turkey must submit at roadmap asking a series of conditions: the readmission of its own citizens and citizens of other countries who have transited through its territory if they are expelled from the European Union; the security of identity documents; border surveillance; visa policy; legislation on asylum; policy vis-à-vis irregular immigration; measures regarding security and judicial cooperation; and final conditions for fundamental rights (in terms of minority rights in question the rights of Roma in Turkey – and we would like them to be respected in the European Union – but not rights of Kurds, who are not mentioned).

You can download the roadmap here (in English).

 

 

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

 

 

SERBIA: GOVERNMENT SINGS ITS VICTORY OVER “FALSE ASYLUM SEEKERS”

Tags

asylum, Balkans, European Union, exilés, Serbia

It was a requirement of the European Union in exchange for the removal of the requirement for Serbian citizens to obtain a visa for a short stay in the Schengen area: Serbia was prevented from leaving its territory persons coming to ask asylum in EU countries, such persons together being referred to as “false asylum seekers”. This agreement was made ​​in violation of fundamental rights of the persons concerned, be it to leave any country including his own or those guaranteed by the Geneva Convention on Refugees.

Chairman of the Commission on visa-free regime can therefore boast publicly reduction “false asylum seekers“. As a bonus, he asks Germany, which has already expelled thousands of Roma from Serbia and Kosovo, and has added Serbia to the list of safe countries of origin (which means the processing of applications for asylum under an accelerated procedure) to reduce the monthly allowance paid to asylum seekers and even shorten the procedure.

French article on the blog Serbie – droits humains:

http://serbie-droitshumains.blogspot.fr/2014/05/reduction-des-faux-demandeurs-dasile.html

 

GREECE: NEW INTERPELLATION FROM AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL

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Balkans, border, European Union, exilés, Greece, human rights

In a new report published on April 28, Amnesty International looks at the push-back operations of exiles at the Greek-Turkish border, based on two years of collecting evidence. It also questioned the role of the European Agency for surveillance of external borders, Frontex, in this situation of violation of human rights.

Noting the routine nature of these violations and the lack of response of the Greek authorities to stop them, the association asks the European Union to take sanctions against Greece and Frontex to stop its land and sea operations at the Greek-Turkish border.

The report “Greece: border of hope and fear” can be downloaded here.

 

GREECE: RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE EUROPEAN UNION

Tags

asylum, Balkans, border, European Union, exilés, Greece, human rights

On the occasion of a seminar organized on March 20 in Brussels, PICUM (Plate-forme for International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants) publishes recommendations for a policy of the European Union in relation to the criminalization of exiles in Greece and violence against them, based on greater solidarity in the reception of asylum seekers and better respect for human rights, including at the border:

Recommendations to the European Union to urgently address criminilisation and violence against migrants in Greece