Between 8,000 and 11,000 refugees who have received a positive decision on their claims for asylum will be evicted from their accommodation and have their cashcards blocked from today, 31st May 2020.
Life was already difficult enough in the Ministry’s camps or in NGO hotels or apartments with a cashcard to cover basic needs. But without shelter and this little support, it is clear that men, women and children will be pushed into homelessness and hunger.
A previous wave of evictions happened in April 2019, but this year the number of people facing destitution is even higher. And in November 2019 the law changed to give people even less chance of finding their feet – people have just 30 days to leave their accommodation after receiving a positive decision and their UNHCR cashcard support will be stopped immediately.
Today, a right wing government is in power and new right wing directors have recently been appointed for the 32 camps in mainland Greece – some of which are known fascists. No doubts exist that the threat to evict people by police force will turn into a harsh reality. It is difficult to predict what will happen from tomorrow, but let’s say this is clear: this government is more repressive, it enforces more irrational and more anti-migratory policies despite criticism and with no concern for legality. Greece is a scarier place to struggle for your papers and scarier for those who finally get papers too.
Recognised refugee are scared to lose the only thing they could get in Greece – protection status. Yet small protests have already erupted in different places over Greece, in camps and on the streets of the cities.
If the government continues its stubborn plan to kick out and cut off all those families, the kids, the vulnerable, the ones it has apparently decided to protect (!) desperation and anger will most likely grow into larger protests. Or, as usually is the result of repressive migration policies, this government will push people to leave Greece no matter what and just for the purpose of survival – with or without travel documents.
People’s lives are lost at Greece’s borders. People are put in life-threatening situations every day as the Greek coast guard pushes them back unlawfully and exposes them to distress situations. People lose their lives in the Aegean hotspots. People are barely kept alive in the mainland camps without any hope or future to build. And at the end of this perilous journey to reach EU soil, after delays and suffering in Greece to obtain refugee status, they are pushed to disembark once again on a quest for safety, home and peace. If they have managed to pay the fees and wait enough time, they will make this next journey from Greece with a little blue travel document in their pocket saying “beneficiary of international protection”
“They tell us that if we do not leave our homes, we will be persecuted criminally and we will never get travel documents.”
S.* from Afghanistan a single mother reports that many beneficiaries got terrified by the employees of the NGOs running their flats.
And now we are in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic! Essential services have been closed and even now are not properly operational. It was already difficult enough to take the necessary steps to ‘integrate’ – learn Greek, open bank accounts, get tax numbers and social security numbers, find work and a place to rent – but the New Democracy government and Covid-19 have made these things impossible. For example, since coming to power in July 2019, the ND government simply refuse to give protection seekers AMKA (social security numbers) so they cannot access public healthcare or legally work. The parallel PAAYPA system to give protection seekers a temporary social security number was announced many months ago and still people are waiting. In ESTIA flats, the UNHCR accommodation scheme where the most vulnerable protection seekers are placed in apartments with NGO social workers for support, only 10% have managed to open a bank account.
“I live with my kids in an ESTIA apartment. They told me we had to leave it and if we wouldn’t leave it we would not be any more considered for HELIOS. My Cash Card was already cut. Since I am in Greece I have been pushed to the ground many times and always I tried to stand up again. I don’t know how to stand now.”
A.* from Afghanistan, the single father is desperate.
Protection seekers face insurmountable obstacles to access what little support the Greek government can offer people in need, and the Helios program run by IOM is not fit for purpose. Helios offers some help paying rent for a maximum of 1 year, but you first need to have a bank account and have signed a contract to rent a house. How is this possible if you do not have any money? How is this possible if you do not have the necessary documents to open a bank account and make a formal housing contract? Helios’s own report speaks for itself – only 18% of people enrolled in the program are able to get the rental subsidies. Clearly Helios is not a solution.
One of the government’s excuses for the evictions is that space needs to be made for people to be transferred from the overcrowded squalid camps on the island ‘hotspots’. This logic is designed to divide people seeking protection and set them against each other. Making people and families homeless on the mainland is no ‘solution’ to the horrific conditions on the islands. People will be united and they will struggle for their rights.
Tomorrow, Monday 1st June, gathering called at UNHCR offices in Athens, Michalakopoulou 91, 12pm
Called by NOT LEAVING MY HOME
We are a group of migrants who are recognised as refugees in Greece. We live in accommodation of Non Governmental Organisations. In April we were told to leave our houses by the end of May.
The New Democracy government decided to evict migrants during Corona while it’s state slogan is “STAY HOME”. Our cash card, which is for food, is also getting blocked.
Most of us are faced with serious health conditions or disabilities, we are single mothers, single women and elderly people.
The war against migrants began on the seas and at the borders, it continued in the jails, detention centres, overcrowded camps and through ID checks on the streets. Now this war takes place inside our homes.
WE ARE NOT LEAVING OUR HOMES!
We want homes, documents and cash assistance for everyone. Our children must go to school and have the right to study. We want health care conditions, AMKA and translators.
If you are a migrant facing similar situations contact us on the numbers below or facebook.
ما گروهی از مهاجران هستیم که درخواست پناهندگی مان در کشور یونان پذیرفته شده است. ما در اقامتگاه های غیر دولتی (خانه ها) زندگی میکنیم. در ابتدای آپریل به ما اطلاع داده شد که باید آخر ماه می خانه هایمان را ترک کنیم.دولت نیو دموکراسی تصمیم گرفته است که مهاجران را در دوران ویروس کرونا از خانه هایشان اخراج کند در حالیکه شعار دولتش “خانه بمانید” است. پول نقد ما که برای تهیه ی غذا است مسدود خواهد شد.بیشتر ما با مشکلات جدی سلامت یا ناتوانی های جسمی روبه رو هستیم،ما زنان مجرد و مادران سرپرست خانوار و افراد مسّن هستیم.
جنگ علیه مهاجران از دریاها و مرزها شروع شده و تا زندان ها و بازداشتگاه های پلیس،کمپ های پرجمعیت بسته ادامه پیدا میکند. حالا این جنگ در خانه هایمان رخنه کرده است.
ما خانه هایمان را ترک نمیکنیم.
ما خانه،مدارک،پول برای همه میخواهیم.
فرزندانمان باید به مدرسه بروند و حق تحصیل داشته باشند.ما خدمات بهداشتی سلامتی،آمکا و مترجم میخواهیم.
اگر شما یک مهاجر در چندین شرایطی هستید به ما بپیوندید و از طریق لینک تلگرام و فیسبوک با ما در ارتباط شوید.
Nous sommes un group de migrants reconnus comme réfugiées. Nous habitons dans es appartements d’accomodation de différentes ONG. En avril, il nous a été annoncé que nous devrons quitter nos logement à la fin de du mois de mais.
Le gouvernement actuel de la nouvelle democratie à décidé d’expulsé les migrants en pleine période de covid-19 quand son slogan officiel est ”restez a la maison”. La ”cash card” qui sert pour se payer a manger, va aussi être bloqué.La plupart de nous sommes confrontés a de sérieux problemes de santé, nous sommes des mères seules, femmes seules et des personnes agées.
La guerre contre les migrants commence sur les mers et aux fontieres,elle continue en prison, centres de détention, camps surchargés et les contrôles d’identité au faciès dans la rue. Maintenant cette guerre est dans nos maison. NOUS NE QUITTERONS PAS NOS MAISON!
Nous voulons des maisons, des papiers et de l’assistance en argent pour tout le monde.Nos enfants doivent aller a l’ école et avoir le droit d’ étudier. Nous voulons la sécurité sociale et de santé, AMKA et des traducteurs.
Si vous êtes migrants et que vous vivez des conditions similaires, contactez nous sur les numeros de telephone en dessous ou facebook.
نحن مجموعة من المهاجرين المعترف بهم كلاجئين في اليونان. نحن نعيش في سكن للمنظمات غير الحكومية. تم إعلامنا في نيسان بمغادرة منازلنا بحلول نهاية أيار.
قررت حكومة “الديمقراطية الجديدة” طرد المهاجرين خلال كورونا بينما شعار الدولة هو “إبقى في المنزل”. وبطاقتنا النقدية المخصصة للطعام يتم حظرها أيضا.
معظمنا يواجه ظروفاً صحية خطيرة أو إعاقات، نحن أمهات أو نساء عازبات.
بدأت الحرب ضد المهاجرين في البحار وعلى الحدود ، واستمرت في السجون ومراكز الاعتقال والمخيمات المزدحمة ومن خلال فحص الهوية في الشوارع.والآن هذه الحرب تحدث في منازلنا.
نحن لن نغادر بيوتنا!
نريد منازل ووثائق ومساعدات نقدية للجميع. أطفالنا يجب أن يذهبوا إلى المدرسة ولهم الحق في الدراسة. نريد ظروف رعاية صحية ، AMKA ومترجمين.
إذا كنت مهاجرًا تواجه مواقف مشابهة ، فاتصل بنا على الأرقام أدناه.
ہم تارکین وطن کا ایک گروہ ہیں جو یونان میں مہاجرین کے طور پر تسلیم کیے گئے ہیں۔ ہم غیر سرکاری تنظیموں کی ریائش گاہوں میں رہتے ہیں۔ ہمیں اپریل کے مہینے میں بتایا گیا کہ مئ کے آخر تک گھر خالی کریں۔ نئ جمہوریت حکومت نے کورونا کے دوران تارکین وطن کو بے دخل کرنے کا فیصلہ کیا جب کہ اس کا ریاستی نعرہ “ گھر میں رہو” ہمارے کیش کارڈ جو ہمارے کھانے کے لیے ہے وہ بھی بلاک ہورہی ہیں۔ ہم میں سے اکثر کی صحت سنگین صورتحال یا معزوری سے دو چار ہے ہم اکیلی مائیں اور اکیلی عورت ہیں۔ یہ جنگ تارکین وطن کے خلاف سمندر اور سرحدوں سے شروع ہو کر جیلوں، حراستی مراکز، بھیڑ بھری کیمپوں اور سڑکوں پر شناختی کارڈ چیک کے زریعے جاری ہے۔ اب یہ جنگ ہمارے گھروں تک پہچ گئی ہیں۔ ہم اپنے گھروں کو نہیں چھوڑ رہے ہیں۔ ہم سب کے لیے گھر، دستاویزات اور نقد امداد چاہتے ہیں۔ ہمارے بچوں کو لازمی اسکول جانا چاہے اور انہیں تعلیم حاصل کرنے کا پورا حق ہے۔ ہم صحت کی دیکھ بھال کے ضوابط AMKA اور مترجم چاہتے ہیں۔
اگر آپ اسی طرح کے حالات کا سامنا کرنے واے تارکین وطن ہیں تو نیچے دئیے نمبروں پر ہم سے رابط کریں او
Είμαστε μια ομάδα μεταναστών/τριών που έχουν αναγνωριστεί ως πρόσφυγες/ισσες στην Ελλάδα. Στεγαζόμαστε από μη κυβερνητικές οργανώσεις. Τον Απρίλιο μας είπαν να εγκαταλείψουμε τα σπίτια μας μέχρι τα τέλη Μαΐου.
Η κυβέρνηση της Νέας Δημοκρατίας αποφάσισε να εκδιώξει τους μετανάστες κατά τη διάρκεια του Covid19 ενώ το κρατικό σύνθημα είναι «ΜΕΝΟΥΜΕ ΣΠΙΤΙ». Η οικονομική μας ενίσχυση (cash card), η οποία είναι για τροφή, θα διακοπεί επίσης.
Οι περισσότεροι/ες από εμάς αντιμετωπίζουμε σοβαρά προβλήματα υγείας ή αναπηρίες, είμαστε μητέρες μόνες, γυναίκες μόνες και ηλικιωμένοι/ες.
Ο πόλεμος εναντίον των μεταναστών/τριών ξεκίνησε στις θάλασσες και στα σύνορα, συνεχίστηκε στις φυλακές, στα κέντρα κράτησης, στα υπερπλήρη στρατόπεδα και με τους ελέγχους ταυτότητας στους δρόμους. Τώρα αυτός ο πόλεμος λαμβάνει χώρα μέσα στα σπίτια μας.
ΔΕΝ ΘΑ ΑΦΗΣΟΥΜΕ ΤΑ ΣΠΙΤΙΑ ΜΑΣ!
Θέλουμε στέγαση, χαρτιά και οικονομική στήριξη για όλους/ες.
Τα παιδιά μας πρέπει να πάνε στο σχολείο και να έχουν το δικαίωμα να σπουδάσουν. Θέλουμε υγειονομική περίθαλψη, AMKA και διερμηνείς.