Solidarity Initiative with the 300 Migrants on Hunger Strike - Athens

 Press Release 

Solidarity Initiative with the 300 Migrants on Hunger Strike - Athens 

As already publicly expressed during yesterday's press conference (25.01.2011), we, the Initiative for Solidarity with the 300 Migrants on Hunger Strike in Athens, support the just and democratic struggle of the 300 migrants, undertaken on their own initiative and without intermediaries.

The struggle of the 300 migrants, who are currently using the unoccupied building of the Law Faculty of Athens as a shelter,  is the struggle of 300 people who have been working for many years without any social or labor rights. The historic building of the Law Faculty, which is presently not being used for academic purposes and is undergoing renovation, is a place that has hosted in the past major and fair social struggles. It is a place which offers asylum to those fighting for justice and dignity; a place where medical and legal support as well as civil protection is being provided to those on strike.

READMISSION OF ASYLUM SEEKER IN TURKEY

NEWS RELEASE
GREEK COUNCIL FOR REFUGEES

“READMISSION OF ASYLUM SEEKER IN TURKEY”


The Greek Council for Refugees hereby denounces the deportation of an Iranian asylum seeker, T.R. (full identification details available at the Greek Council for Refugees), from Tychero Border Police Station to Turkey, through the Readmission Protocol between Greece and Turkey. T.R, who was recognised as a refugee under the mandate of UNHCR in Iraq, entered Greece through the Evros region on 29.10.2010. According to the account he gave us, since the moment of his arrest he had been asking the Greek authorities for protection. However, his asylum claim was not registered and the Greek authorities issued a detention and deportation order against him. The Greek Council for Refugees intervened in writing for the registration of his claim (document prot.nr. 497/2010, dated 19/11/2010 ). T.R.'s claim was officially registered on 25.11.2010 and has been pending ever since. His detention was not lifted and he continued to be held in Tychero Border Police Station under conditions which were tantamount to inhuman and degrading treatment in violation of the applicable legislation and in particular Art. 3 ECHR.

Information on the Right to Appeal against negative answer on the demand for asylum (P.D. 114/2010)

We inform you that from the 22nd of November 2010, the provisions of the no.114 Presidential Decree were put in place.

According to this new legislative provision, the asylum seekers who have received a negative answer on their demand for political asylum (no.81 Presidential Decree, 30/06/2009) will have the right to make an appeal in order to have their demands reexamined. This provision includes all negative answers on demands for political asylum given by the Headmasters of the Aliens’ Directorates in both Attica and Thessaloniki along with the ones given by Headmasters of all Police Directorates in the country.

Conference "The situation at the Greek-Turkish border: access to the asylum procedure and procedural safeguards"

The Group of Lawyers for the Rights of Migrants and Refugees and the group "Kayiki"
are pleased to invite you to the conference

"The situation at the Greek-Turkish border: access to the asylum procedure and procedural safeguards"

which will take place on Friday 03 December 2010, 17:00 - 20.00,
in the conference room of the Greek Ombudsman Building
(Hatzigianni Mexi str 5, Athens)

Statement by the Head of the UNHCR Office in Greece in relation to the hunger strike of Iranians at Propylaia, Athens

UNHCR 

The UN Refugee Agency

1. The hunger strike of Iranian asylum seekers at Propylaia, seven among whom have sewed their lips, is based on their legitimate claim to have their asylum applications processed and a final decision on their legal status issued, according to the asylum legislation.

2. It should be noted that among the hunger strikers, there are persons whose interviews at first instance are delaying for more than a year, while others’ cases are pending at second instance for several years.

Racist violence in St. Panteleimonas Square - a press review

A compilation of press articles referring to the escalating phenomenon of racist violence in St. Pantleleimonas area. The reported period is from September 2009 to October 2010.

Download the report here

UNHCR says asylum situation in Greece is 'a humanitarian crisis'

Briefing Notes, 21 September 2010

This is a summary of what was said by UNHCR spokesperson Adrian Edwards – to whom quoted text may be attributed – at the press briefing, on 21 September 2010, at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.
UNHCR is today calling on Greece to urgently accelerate implementation of its planned asylum reform. This is in light of the continued absence in Greece of a functioning asylum system, an issue with important implications for the wider EU.