Fact Finding Report of the Campaign for the Access to Asylum in Greece

THE CAMPAIGN FOR THE ACCESS TO ASYLUM IN ATTICA AREA

1. The associations, entities, groups and NGOs[1] co-signing the present report carried out from 17 February 2012 until 7 April 2012 a campaign against the unacceptable situation of denial of access to the asylum system in Greece, focusing on the Attica area, where the vast majority of asylum seekers try to apply for international protection. The longstanding practice followed by the Asylum Department of the Attica Aliens Directorate, the competent authority to receive, register and examine asylum applications in Attica, is to allow submission of a small number of asylum applications and only in the early hours of every Saturday morning.

Joint call to protest on Friday 30 March 2012

For the sixth consecutive week, the undersigning entities and organisations hereby issue an open invitation to attend our solidarity protest outside the Attica Aliens Directorate at Petrou Ralli, from Friday evening, 30 March 2012 until dawn Saturday, 31 March 2012 (05:00- 06:00 am).

The police authorities in Attica- following their usual practice of the past years- refuse to accept asylum applications and agree to register only an exceptionally low number of asylum claims, only on Saturday dawn, following arbitrary procedures and under deplorable waiting conditions. The culminating point of this unacceptable policy was the absolute refusal of the police to register any asylum applications last Saturday, 24 March 2012. As a result, persons who are entitled to international protection have been deprived thereof and are at imminent risk of arrest during random document checks or in the course of "group arrest", of lengthy detention under conditions which often constitute inhuman and degrading treatment and deportation to countries where they are not safe.

NO TO RACISM – NO TO XENOPHOBIA

On March 12th, a trial which concerns all of us will take place at the Public Prosecutor’s Office of Athens. The three members of the illegal organization, who racially attacked a group of Afghan refugees at Agios Panteleimonas, are being judged. The victims of the accused were injured, while one of them has been stabbed close to his heart and stomach.

Similar incidents occur frequently at the city center and the suburbs. However, every racially motivated attack against a refugee and a migrant who arrived in Greece, seeking political asylum or a better life in Europe equals an attack against each and every one of us. Every victim is one of us.

One Month at Petrou Ralli - Press Release

ONE MONTH AT PETROU RALLI

THE UNACCEPTABLE SITUATION CONCERNING THE REGISTRATION OF ASYLUM APPLICATIONS CONTINUES

The Group of Lawyers for the Rights of Migrants and Refugees together with AITIMA, the Greek Council for Refugees, the Ecumenical Refugee Program and the Greek Section of Amnesty International co-signing the present press release, and in co-operation with other entities, groups and NGOs, have been carrying out over the last month repeated protests, by giving their presence every Friday to Saturday morning (on 17 February, 24 February, 2 March and 9 March 2012) outside the building of the Attica Aliens Directorate.

Press Release

On access to asylum procedure in Greece
(Attica Aliens Directorate, Petrou Ralli)

The Group of Lawyers for the Rights of Migrants and Refugees together with AITIMA, the Greek Council for Refugees and the Ecumenical Refugee Program, co-signing the present press release, and in co-operation with other entities, groups and NGOs, carried out a protest outside the building of the Attica Aliens Directorate (Petrou Ralli) from Friday 17 February 2012, 21:00 until 07:00 am on Saturday, 18 February 2012. (See below the invitation for the protest as well as the text of the organisations which responded positively to the invitation) 

Press Release for the illegal arrest of Greek lawyers outside the Turkish Embassy

PRESS RELEASE

In the early afternoon hours of the 24th of January 2012, members of the "Alternative Intervention of Athens Lawyers" and the "Group of Lawyers for the Rights of Migrants and Refugees" gathered outside the Turkish Embassy in Athens, in order to protest against the continuing imprisonment of 39 Turkish and Kurdish human rights defenders, who were arrested in our neighboring country, simply because of their work as lawyers. Similar protests were organised by colleagues of ours in most European capitals within the framework of a pan-European day of solidarity towards our imprisoned colleagues in Turkey.

The Athens Bar Association expresses its strong protest against the illegal and arbitrary detention for questioning of lawyers

ATHENS BAR ASSOCIATION
Academias 60, 10679 Athens
Tel 210-33.98.270, 71
Athens, 24.1.2012

ANNOUNCEMENT

The Athens Bar Association expresses its strong protest against the illegal and arbitrary detention for questioning of lawyers, who protested outside the Turkish Embassy against the arrests of 39 Kurdish lawyers, human rights defenders, in the framework of a respective EU-wide day of protest.

The ABA will proceed to a relevant objection demarche to the Minister of Citizens’ Protection, the Minister of Justice and the General Police Directorate.

The President
John D. Adamopoulos

See the official announcement in Greek here