A series of media reports suggested that the government plans to target civil society organizations that provide assistance to newly arrived persons at the Evros region, raising questions as to whether this could be part of a policy of intimidation of people defending the rights of those seeking asylum. The largest Authorities said the remaining migrants 24 women, 63 men and 21 children were rescued in choppy waters off the island of Delos. we are ready to promote the excellent beaches, wine tourism, and group 35+ years. The Executive Director of Frontex resigned following a report of the European Anti-Fraud Office as well as numerous reports on the complicity of Frontex in pushback operations. The report, published jointly by the Greek Refugee Council, and the NGOs Oxfam and Save the Children on May 3, examines the difference in treatment of refugees and asylum seekers from different countries by the Greek government. The European Commission flagged concerns about attacks and threats against journalists in Greece in its July rule of law report, in particular the killing of Greek investigative journalist Giorgos Karaivaz. had set as our target as a government in 2019; soon the North The bill, which was adopted on September 3, introduces restrictions and conditions on NGOs active in areas of competence of the Greek Coast Guard, at the threat of heavy sanctions and fines. News emergedin July that 10 individuals, including 4 members of NGOs, are facing criminal investigation for allegedly facilitating the irregular entry of foreign nationals from Turkey to Lesbos.

Although thousands were relocated to other parts of Greece, more than 4,000 remained at time of writing on the Aegean islands, including 3,819 contained in camps. Athens has always denied that its security forces engage in illegal pushbacks. IT00876481003 - Copyright ANSA - All rights reserved, ANSA certification for the production, distribution and publication of news in multimedia format, Mattarella dissolves parliament for snap elections after Draghi quits, 18-month-old girl dead after being abandoned by mum, COVID-19: Italy registers 80,653 new cases, 157 more deaths, Italy set for early elections after Draghi quits, Pope calls for action to implement Paris Agreement, After Gelmini, Brunetta quits Forza Italia, Over 1,000 evacuated in Versilia as fires rage nationwide, Drought: River Po down to 10% of usual level - ANBI, Bond spread rises after Draghi govt collapses. In its July EU-widerule of law report, the European Commission expressed concern about the narrowing space for civil society groups working with migrants and asylum seekers. Hampered access to the asylum procedure continues depriving refugees of their rights and exposing them to the risks of arrest and administrative detention. of the five islands of the North Eastern Aegean with 2 million The men did not try to save him but one of the Syrians dived in to the water but didnt suceed in rescuing him. islands, the mainland and the large urban centers continues. The total They continue to deny that they carry out pushbacks, despite mounting evidence and accusations to the contrary.

refugees and migrants from the islands, and with the completion This policy, say the authors, gives people the impression that they "have no right to enter Greece, and disregards Greeces obligation under the Refugee Convention for individual examinations of all asylum applications without discrimination. total population of refugees and migrants staying in the The Ministry of Education also announced they would provide special language classes to help those children integrate. The government continued its heavy-handed and often abusive immigration controls. In April, the Greek ombudsman released an interim report as part of an investigation launched in 2017, criticizing authorities for failing to adequately respond to multiple allegations of pushbacks at the Greek-Turkish land border. Please enable JavaScript in your browser for better use of the website. The EQPR does not replace the standard procedures for the recognition of qualifications, but it acts as a complement in case of absence of full documentation. The first such center opened on Samos at the end of September. "They kidnap refugees that reach the Greek shores and throw them back into open sea.. On March 28, the Greek government set up an online pre-registration platform which would grant a one-year temporary protection status to displaced people from Ukraine. The UN Child Rights Committees (CRC) Concluding Observations on Greece raise serious concerns, including forced returns / pushbacks and the discriminatory two-tier refugee response for Ukrainian refugees and for all others. A coastguard statement said its boats had used "visual and sound signals" to keep the asylum seekers out of Greek territorial waters. Others on Lesbos and Chios are to follow. In most of the cases, authorities have failed to act. Also read: Allegations of Greece deploying migrants to expel migrants.

Greece hosts large numbers of asylum seekers while failing to protect their rights, including by pushing new arrivals back to Turkey. In 46 incidents, the victims said that they would not take further actions due to fear, lack of trust in the authorities, or bureaucratic obstacles. Syrians have been subject to the same rules since 2016. In May, the CoE commissioner for human rights warned that the governments plan to build new closed reception centres created a risk of large-scale, long-term detention. But despite some gripes, the treatment of Ukrainians is very different from the governments approach towards asylum seekers from other countries, which continues to be defined by obstructions to access the asylum process, inadequate reception, and violent pushbacks, the report finds. The European Unions Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) has also been investigating allegations of this kind in Greece. pandemic. I am not just Anwar Horani who has a bachelor degree. reside in organized camps, while the rest are residing in other By giving them the opportunity to have their qualifications assessed even in cases with insufficient or lacking documentation, the EQPR enables refugees to rebuild their lives and contribute to their host societies, as emphasized by the first EQPR holder Ms Anwar Horani in the video: I am happy, I am working now. An acute migrant crisis peaked in 2015 as migrants, many fleeing the Syrian civil war, sought refuge in Europe. Pushbacks are illegal because they block refugees from accessing safety and seeking asylum. I am a working Anwar Horani who has a bachelor degree in physiotherapy, who could help another people, who could be effective in this community who has been taking her in with open arms.. The EQPR supports the implementation of the Article VII of the Council of Europe/UNESCO Lisbon Recognition Convention facilitating the recognition of refugees qualifications even in the absence of full documentation. Coming Soon! On Sunday, Mitarakis urged Turkey to take stronger measures to avert migratory flows from swelling into Europe anew. "All regions of the country are well below the 1% threshold we Of these, 2,731 (91%) Human Rights Watch defends the rights of people in 90 countries worldwide, spotlighting abuses and bringing perpetrators to justice, Human Rights Watch is a 501(C)(3)nonprofit registered in the US under EIN: 13-2875808. Direct access to Al-Monitor journalists across the region and Washington. By mid-August,21 unaccompanied childrenwere detained in police-run facilities despite Greeces abolition of the so-called protective custody regime in December 2020. Violence against women was the subject of heated debate during the year, after Olympic medalist Sofia Bekatorou alleged in January she had been sexually assaulted in 1998 by an official of the Greek sailing federation, triggering a national #MeToo movement. On August 25, an appeals committeerejected the returnof an Afghan family which had been refused asylum, ruling that Turkey could not be considered a safe third country for them. The European Parliaments LIBE Committee in its letter from 16 June called for legal actions against Greece following continuous reports of pushbacks at the Greek borders and allegations of European and international law violations by the Greek authorities. There were persistent delays in opening classes for children who do not speak Greek. The EQPR enables refugees to have their qualifications assessed even in the absence of a full documentation. ", In mid-march, asylum seekers reported that a four-year-old child drowned during a pushback operation. In January, the citizen protection minister unveiled guidelines to implement a controversial 2020 law regulating demonstrations, which journalists are concerned will restrict their ability to report effectively. Judicial review applications challenging the legal framework are pending before the Council of State. Share this via LinkedIn 59,212." In a report in February 2022, the OLAF accuses Frontex, the European border agency, of having been aware of human rights violations at Greeces EU external borders "but deliberately avoided reporting them. Notis Mitarakis, Greeces migration minister, said, We have noticed in recent weeks increased activity along the border where Turkish forces push, even escort migrants to specific outcrops, forcing Greek authorities to come, pick them up and bring them into Greece., This all shows, the minister said, that there is an orchestrated activity in the making by the authorities there. million euros that we have given already as the Ministry of Al-Monitor.com is a trusted and award-winning independent source of Middle East news and analysis, founded in 2012. Greece is a member of the 27-nation bloc but Turkey is not. Most provide services in camps for asylum seekers. EU Asylum, Immigration and Integration Fund, the Internal Greece's tough border controls have been dogged by accusations from rights groups that the Greek coastguard has been engaging in illegally forcing migrants to return to Turkey. country nationals, while 968 people arrived in our country.

According to the latest official statistics from April, there are more than 2,300 asylum seekers in camps on the Greek islands of Lesbos, Samos, Chios, Kos and Leros, all near Turkey. NGOs and the CoE commissioner for human rights raised the alarm over the law, which undermines the right to asylum and weakens safeguards against detention and return to the risk of persecution or other human rights abuse. Greece announces big drop in migration population, P.I. for either Europe or third party countries through the Greece also faces accusations of migrant mistreatment. Other ways to share They add that those who want to apply for asylum in mainland Greece, who are not from Ukraine face an almost "dysfunctional" and "inaccessible" process. She had been in the final years of studying medicine in Ukraine. Survivors said no life vests were available on the sailboat, nor was the vessel equipped with a lifeboat. In March, Greece's national transparency authority said a four-month investigation found no evidence of such practices. In June, Commissioner Johansson urged the Greek authorities to reverse the inadmissibility decisions for those who cannot be returned and examine cases on their merits. Greek officials deny the allegations, and authorities regularly fail to carry-out proper investigations into pushbacks. The RVRN also recorded 30 incidents of verbal assault, physical violence, or sexual assault against individuals based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. March 2022, a total of 27,396 asylum seekers resided in all the the payment by the Ministry of Migration and Asylum of The killings shocked the public, opening a debate on the issue of domestic violence. While the number of illegal entries has dropped dramatically since a refugee crisis saw more than a million Syrians spilling into Europe in 2016, Greece fears a new migratory push may be in the making. (ANSAmed). It collects testimonies from migrants themselves and recommendations to the EU, EU countries and the Greek government. Kos with 23%. The authors say the government has not yet announced if it intends to amend its list. and Asylum also included a special section on displaced Authorities failed to address rising violence against women and instituted measures that could heighten risks for some domestic violence survivors. The EQPR is important because many refugees have to flee suddenly the outbreak of war and violence. accommodation centers managed or supervised by the Ministry of