Turkey has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with FRONTEX, the EU’s border management agency, to cooperate against illegal immigration, amid expectations that the EU will soon give the go-ahead for visa liberalization talks with Ankara.
Continue reading ‘Turkey signs deal with EU’s border agency’
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information with, about and for refugees in Greece
Statement by the migrants of the Peiraiki Patraiki Factory
We are very sad about the death of the 29-year-old. We give our condolences to his family and friends. We are angry and sad about the barbaric behavior of those who killed him. Such individuals are not representative for all immigrants.
We declare our solidarity with the victim’s family and we hope that the perpetrators will be punished according to Greek law. We hope that the political parties and organizations don’t turn this tragic incident against all immigrants, because what happened is the individual behavior of a few and doesn’t characterize us all.
We are against anyone who participates in this kind of bloodshed. We don’t want any deaths and killings. These were the reasons that forced us to leave our countries because this is what happens there. Bloodshed, humiliation, exploitation, abuse of people from dictatorial governments is what we have experienced back there and why we left. What we are looking for is asylum, peace, security and a friendly relationship with the local society. In Patras, once we arrived, we encountered respect, hospitality and the help of the people.
We do not agree with some people behaving like criminals killing or robbing. We reiterate our deep regret for what happened. What we write is our view and we would like it to be heard by the people, the victim’s family and friends. We want the society of Patras to understand that what happened does not represent us. We are humans and we are very sorry for what the perpetrators did leading to the victim’s death.
At around 7 AM GMT+2 on Saturday, May 26th, a large police contingent surrounded the building complex of the former Chatzikosta Hospital, located on central Papandreou Avenue in the city of Ioannina. This complex, apart from being a temporary home for migrants and refugees, is also were the Antiviosi squat is located.
Continue reading ‘Ioannina, Greece: “Cleansing” operation against migrants’
Saturday afternoon in Kipseli neighbourhood:
Around 60 Neonazi and 20 motor bikes made one of their ritualised “interventions” on the weekly markets of Athens. Migrants crossing their path were attacked and insulted, fascist slogans were shouted… At some point police teams of DIAS (motor bikes) arrived at the place who, according to witnesses, tried to control the papers of some of the Neonazis. The Neonazi and Parliamentarian of the fascist party “Golden Dawn” Panagiotarou as seen in the video, tried to show by whatever means that his party (GD) is “antisystemic” and that it is being “prosecuted” by the Greek police. In the following the parliamentarian started insulting god and the world and destructing a parked car. Nevertheless, he was not arrested as it happens i.e. with other parliamentarians from left wing parties. While Panagiotarou is claiming that his party is antisystemic, it actually seems as if GD unfortunately is very close to the Greek police and vice versa.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=hd_9GJgVd4g
220 undocumented migrants are detained currently in the first of the planned 30 new detention centres. The Ministry of Citizen Protection is planning to continue the construction after the elections and to move on with the creation of the second new type detention centre also in Attica and the third in Deskati, Grevenon.
May 24, 2012
Following recent tensions in Patras caused by the murder of a 30-year-old man last Saturday, 19 May, UNHCR condemns all acts of violence and calls for the respect of the rule of law. It also appeals to all concerned in Patras to maintain calm.
The anger generated by the murder, for which a criminal investigation is on-going, should not lead to a cycle of violence, with civilians taking the law into their own hands. It can also not serve as an excuse to target and victimize migrants and refugees in Patras or in other regions of Greece.
The fact that thousands of migrants and asylum seekers are trapped in Greece creates significant problems that need to be addressed through serious dialogue, through specific and realistic policy proposals and a comprehensive set of measures. UNHCR calls on all political and social stakeholders in Greece to work towards this direction and to unequivocally condemn all acts of violence.
UNHCR also calls for support for the efforts to reform the Greek migration management and asylum system, which, along with other requirements, is necessary to improve the current situation.
During the past few days the murder of a 30-year-old Greek in Patras on Saturday morning (May 19) was assigned in local mainstream media of Patras to “afghan” perpetrators. The increasing discourse on the violent death rose on MAy 20, the day of the burial ceremony. A group of approx. 150 indignant locals but also fascists members of “golden dawn” party started to move in the evening towards the industrial area of Peiraiki Patraiki where currently some sans-papiers live in transit. The fascists among the protestors planned to revenge the death of the 30-year-old some of them holding rods and other truncheons. Indignant locals argued with golden dawn members who wanted to use the tragic death of the 30-year-old for their own purposes. The police forces arrived just in time to prevent the fascists from entering the industrial area. The mob outside the industrial area was shouting: “Foreigners out of Greece!” After a while of struggle between police and fascists, the latter left only to meet again the next day as they announced. Small groups of migrants and refugees spread in the city were chased by fascists. There are yet no news about injuries.
video showing the protest of the indignant locals and the fascist mob
On May 22 the atmosphere in Patras is remains heated. Police forces arrived in the early morning in the industrial area and arrested some sans-papiers in order to transfer them to Athens (about three busses) – as they said in order to protect them. Anyway, for the authorities the incidents of the last days might be seen as an opportunity to empty the buildings from the sans-papiers as they are trying already since some months by daily sweep operations. In the afternoon of May 22 the sans-papiers who had been transferred earlier that day to Athens were all released. During the arrest there was no possibility for the sans-papiers to collect their few personal belongings. Some of their items were allegedly burned by the police forces.
In the afternoon members of the neonazi GD gathered from other Greek cities and marched to the abandoned factory space (Peiraiki Patraiki, opposite the new port). The approx. 350 nazis tried to storm the factory, brandishing crowbars and pelting rocks to the migrants inside the building. During the night eight police officers were injured and five fascists arrested.
21:55 GMT+2 Meanwhile, the situation at the southern front of Patras, by the new port, is escalating in a nazi riot, as allegedly a couple of hundred Golden Dawn supporters try to break through the police lines to reach the abandoned factory building of Peiraiki Patraiki used by undocumented migrants for shelter.
22:00 GMT+2 People attacked Golden Dawn MP Michalis Arvanitis, who was scheduled to speak at a local TV station. The nazi was attacked inside the station building.
22:05 GMT+2 An antifascist gathering has been called for this Thursday, 24/05, at Olgas Square in Patras.
On May 23 the police entered again the industrial area which is a provisory shelter for migrants and refugees, arrested and transferred the last 50-60 to Athens. Meanwhile the municipality is holding an emergency meeting concerning the escalation of violence in the area of the new port and the “problem of illegal migration in the city”. The plan of the local government is to increase police patrols. In a telephone conference with the Minister of Citizen Protection the prefect of Western Greece demanded an increase of the police forces in Patras to face the militias of the neo-nazis but also and mainly to force refugees and migrants out of town.
In the night of May 23 again fascists started attacking the riot police next to the port and the industrial area of Peiraiki Patraiki.
press release of the solidarity movement in patras / May 23, 2012
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call for antifascist meeting May 23, 2012 in Patras (in greek)
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On May 21, 2012 an inflatable boat with 17 undocumented refugees was found during a FRONTEX aircraft-patrol on the west of Paleokastritsa in Corfu. The boat was driven to Paleokastritsa accompanied by a floating vessel of the coast guard.
On the same day another boat with 53 sans-papiers was found by the Frontex patrol in the Ioanian Sea at the coast of Preveza. The boat sailed with an escort of the coast patrol to the port of Preveza. The sans-papiers were arrested. A preliminary investigation was conducted by the Port Authority.
Hospital doctors announce decision to ignore the Ministry of Health directive and to continue treating undocumented migrants
Prior to the May 6th elections, the minister of health, Loverdos, announced undocumented migrants were to no longer receive any treatment in public hospitals in Greece. In response, hospital doctors issued, through their union body, the following statement
Doctors:
“We will treat undocumented migrants. No to Loverdos’ credentials to the [Nazis of the] Golden Dawn!”
Continue reading ‘Greek doctors refuse to stop treating undocumented migrants’
The exploitation and violence of agricultural farmers in Manolada against their migrant workers continues. On May 12, 2012 the workers of the strawberry harvest started a strike demanding higher wages now. The police supports the farmers with sweep operations arresting migrants in the area. On May 16, 2012, the third day of the workers strike the protests resulted again in the arrest of about 10 workers – mainly migrants.