Monthly Archive for March, 2014

331 refugees saved near Crete

Published on March 31, 2014 in Uncategorized. Closed Tags: , , , , , .

331 refugees (267 men, 24 women and 40 children) from Syria and Egypt were saved from a fisher boat which had gotten in distress earlier in the sea of Kythira. They were transferred to Crete. The fisher boat had called SOS in the night of Sunday 65 nautic miles northwest of Crete. Two cargo ships of foreign flags, one greek tanker one ship of the US-Marine, a boat of the Greek coast guard, a fregatte of the greek navy and a helicopter of the greek coast guard got to the spot immediately.

efimerida ton syndakton (in greek)

update 4.4.14:

Today the Syrian refugees were left to go while the people from Egypt were kept and will be brought to detention – among the latter are reportedly many unaccompanied minors.

Xaniotika Nea (in greek)

People protest against planned new detention centre in Aghia Barbara Hospital, Athens

Published on March 28, 2014 in Uncategorized. Closed Tags: , , , , , .

Hospitals are closed; detention centres opened

Aghia Barbara Hospital in Aigaleo, Athens has been announced to become one of the new detention centres for migrants in Athens adding to the alreaady existing 5,000 places in mass detention centres that were opened after August 4th, 2012 Operation Xenios Dias.

Antiracist organisations, labour unions, municipal movements and neighbours protested against the change into a detention centre and demanded the re-opening of the hospital. They stopped bulldozers from entering the to be construction site. Also the mayor expressed that there was no interest by the local government to accept this measure and that he would proceed to protect peoples lives. Consequently the re-construction was temporarily stopped but will continue after elections, Minister Dendias said. As he continued the government planned an open camp for men and women there and not a detention centre. Nonetheless and given the Ministers tradition in anti-migratory policies no one trusts his statement.

The government meanwhile plans to open also detention centres in other recently closed down hospitals of West-Athens such as the Therapeftirio Chronion Pathiseon Paidon in Sxistou and Skaramanga street.

efymerida ton syndakton (in greek)
left.gr (in greek)
efymerida ton syndakton (in greek)

Greece wants to detain migrants now more than 18 months

Published on March 27, 2014 in Uncategorized. Closed

Detention centres are called “pre-removal centres”; indefinite detention duration is called “protection from the poverty of freedom.

The Legal Council of State on February 11th issued a disgraceful opinion the detention duration of migrants / refugees (No. 44/2014). It pretty much says that after the expiry of the 18-month (maximum) detention of aliens, they can still be held for an indefinite period. This extended detention which is against European Law is called “caveat of compulsory residence in a pre-removal centre” and as such is only ending in case of co-operation for voluntary return.

If an immigrant is detained for more than 18 months in total following the previous deportation decision (Article 30 of Law 3907/2011 or 76 L.3386/2005 respectively), the implementation of which has not been feasible because of a refusal of cooperation of the immigrant himself, the competent authorities may, in a reasonable time before the expiry of the 18 months hand the immigrant a writing deadline for his voluntary departure from the country, according to the provisions of Article 22 of Law 3907/2011 and 76 of Law 3386/2005. If the immigrant still refuses to cooperate for the implementation of the deportation decision, the relevant bodies, when they find him to be reasonably suspect of escape may automatically by Articles 22 paragraph 3 of Law 3907/2011 or Article 78 of Law 3386/2005 impose upon him the measure of “compulsory residence in an area of detention” until he will consent and cooperated in implementing the deportation decision.

Continue reading ‘Greece wants to detain migrants now more than 18 months’

Commissioner Muižnieks calls on the Greek Parliament to reject the amendment to Article 19 of the draft immigration code

Published on March 26, 2014 in Uncategorized. Closed Tags: , , , , , , , , .

“I am seriously concerned about the introduction by the government of the amendment to Article 19 of the draft immigration code which would allow deportation following the rejection of any migrant’s complaint that they have been victim of racist or other unlawful violence by law enforcement officers.

This amendment is ill-advised and should not be adopted. In effect, it shifts the burden of proof onto the migrant complainants and introduces one more ground for deporting migrants who may have been subjected to unlawful violence but have been unable to substantiate their claims.
Continue reading ‘Commissioner Muižnieks calls on the Greek Parliament to reject the amendment to Article 19 of the draft immigration code’

Greece wants to deport the ones who report racist violence once they loose their case

Published on March 23, 2014 in Uncategorized. Closed Tags: , , , , , , , .

While impunity of racist violence remains a persistent problem in Greece, the Greek government not only refrains from addressing it, but is proceeding to institutionalize it, and furthermore to penalize its victims! Last week it submitted to parliament an amendment to the country’s Immigration Code that mandates the deportation of immigrants who accuse state employees of using violence against them, in case their claims are officially rejected. It is hair-raising: this provision is a deterrent, punishing not the aggressors but the victims.

The Minister of Interior has temporarily redrawn from the amendment but announced it will be back next week. At the same time the whole article 19 of the code is gone, which concerns the possibility to receive a residence permit on humanitarian grounds also for victims of racist violence.

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enet (in english)

Another refugee boat in distress between Bodrum and Kos

Published on March 18, 2014 in Uncategorized. Closed Tags: , , , , .

your seas have the smell of migrants corpses

your seas have the smell of migrants corpses


Turkish coast guards saved 3 refugees whose boat got in distress between Bodrum and Kos. Four persons drowned and one is still missing.

todays zaman (in english)

7 refugees dead, 2 missing after shipwreck near Lesvos island

Published on March 18, 2014 in Uncategorized. Closed Tags: , , , , , .

Shortly after midnight, in the early morning hours of the 18th MArch 2014 two refugees were saved from a Turkish Cargo near Lesvos island. As they reported their boat had half sank despite the good weather conditions. Two boats of the Greek coast guard, one helicopter, a fisherboat and a search and rescue boat started searching for the other refugees. There were 17 persons on board among them also babies. A girl and a man were found dead already and later another 3 women, one boy and a man were found inside the boat near Korakas beach. Another 8 men were saved around 2:30 in the morning. Two men are still missing. The refugees are from Syria.


ta nea (in greek)
lesvos news (in greek)
kokkino radio (in greek)
tvxs (in greek)
efimerida ton syndakton (in greek)
Hellenic Coast Guard (in greek)