On Noovember 2nd, a group of human rights defenders – among them memebers of the human rights section of SYRIZA was denied access to Xanthi detention centre in Rodhopi prefecture.
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information with, about and for refugees in Greece
The Monaghan Report on the scandalous death of Jimmy Mubenga during his expulsion from Britain highlighted the broader issue of the inhuman treatment of immigrants in Europe. We become more and more accustomed to their demonisation and dehumanisation; even worse, the recent “Go Home” vans campaign in Britain warns that immigrant-bashing might soon become something like official policy. A system in crisis needs scapegoats, and the immigrants come in handy here, being much sexier scapegoats than bankers. Could this be a prelude to a wider authoritarian turn? Just watch what is happening in Greece.
The plight of the newcomers has often been described in words and in film. It does not lack official sanction. Before the elections, Prime Minister Antonis Samaras, whose extreme Right past and affiliations are no secret, decried that “our cities have been occupied by illegal immigrants; we will take them back”. This would actually be an act of charity towards Greek children: “Kindergartens are now full of immigrant children, and Greeks cannot enter. This will stop!” he added. Nikos Dendias, Minister for Public Order, put things into perspective: “Immigration is a problem perhaps greater than the [economic crisis]”. Such declarations are not taken by the police as implying that immigrant rights are sacrosanct. As for the judicial and the administrative system, they protect these rights no better. In all, asylum seekers are systematically detained and face inhuman or degrading treatment. This is not leftist rhetoric, but an official statement of the highest EU Court of Justice, which in 2011 put a ban on the deportation of asylum seekers to Greece for exactly that reason.
Continue reading ‘The new untouchables, An essay by Spyros Marchetos’
Referring to the “accidental” death of Lamis Abounahi and her two children, 3-year-old Undai and 9-month-old Layal, due to a fire on the mountains of Samos.
Early in the morning of the 21st of July, an inflatable boat heading from Turkey to Greece abandons Syrian refugee Wasim Abounahi, his wife Lamis, their two children, Undai and Layal and their friends Jihad Kelani and Mohammad Basis on a rocky shore on the island of Samos.
The refugees climb up the steep mountain side and hide in a near-by forest until dark. Lamis is very sick and worn out, so they decide to use their only cellphone, to call the emergency number of the Turkish authorities (7777) and ask for help -Kelani speaks very good English. The Turks trace their cellphone signal and answer back soon after to inform them on their position, giving them the emergency number of the Greek authorities (112). The refugees fail to reach 112, so they ask the Turks to contact the Greek authorities for them. Indeed, after a few minutes they receive a call from a Greek cell, Kelani explains to the woman on the other side of the line the dire straits they’re in and they agree to light a small fire on the edge of the rock so that the lifeboat can spot them. 
Continue reading ‘Chronicle of a state crime: The death of a Syrian mother and her two children in Samos’
400 migrants are since the morning of August 28th on hunger strike in Fylakio detention center near Orestiada in Evros.
Their protest began when they were informed that their detention duration would get extended to 18 months.
On August 24th, 2013 an Afghani migrant jumped out of the window of the detention center in Corinth. He was seriously injured. Earlier, the detainee had climbed the iron bars of the windows, threatening he would jump, to protest his prolonged and inhuman detention. Only recently authorities in Corinth had announced to extend detention from 12 to 18 months. The injured man has been transferred to the General Hospital of Corinth. At the moment there is no further information about his health condition.
Around 5,000 immigrants have been arrested and detained in Greece since the launching of “Xenios Dias” police operation in August 2012.
ON August 10th detained migrants in Amigdaleza near Athens protested in an uprising against the extension of their detention from 12 to 18 months. 1.620 migrants are currently detained in this prison while it was built only for 820. In the past months different human rights organisations had reported about the inhuman detention conditions, about cases of police violence and forced “voluntary returns”.
Saturday 10th of August: Immigrants imprisoned at Amygdaleza detention center (near Athens) started a revolt around 21.00 o’clock. They protested against the deplorable conditions and the extension of their detention from 12 to 18 months. Many of the detainees face deportation following the negative decisions on their asylum cases and have lost hope.
Continue reading ‘Uprising in Amigdaleza’
Speed boat carrying 30, sank due to unknown reasons. 24 dead retrieved from the sea, 12 rescued alive…
ISTANBUL, July 31 — A total of 24 sans papiers immigrants were found dead in the international waters of the Aegean Sea between Greece and Turkey after a speed boat carrying them capsized on Wednesday.
Antolian news agency first reported that 18 bodies in the sea were found by coast guard teams and then updated the number of dead to 24.
The sans papiers immigrants lost their lives Wednesday when a boat carrying them sank in the Aegean Sea off the coast of Ezine, a district in the northwestern province of Canakkale.
Initial reports said the immigrants were traveling to the island of Lesbos in Greece. Twelve others who were also on the boat during the accident were rescued alive.
The rescue operations are underway and accompanied by planes and helicopters belonging to the coast guards.
However, there is no detail information on the nationalities of the sans papiers immigrants and where they were from as well as their final destination.
This is the second incident in a week happening in the Aegean Sea.
Last Friday Greek Coast Guard found five bodies off the southeastern Aegean Sea island of Kos after the sinking of a boat carrying sans papiers immigrants to Greece from neighbouring Turkey.
see also:
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He was in a boat with another 45 migrants, two of them women. They were arrested by the greek coast guard and transferred to Chios island. According to the news it remains unclear how one of them drowned.