Press Release of the community concerning the fascist violence, state repression and the problems of Somali refugees:
Somali Community Denounces Fascist Attacks – PR (in English)
information with, about and for refugees in Greece
Tag Archive for 'greece'
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Press Release of the Antiracist Group Thessaloniki concerning the police raids of the last weeks in the centre of Thessaloniki
Street vendors from a variety of countries face since years severe repressive measures in the urban centres of Greece, since they have no opportunity to get work permits for their trade. At the same time informal street vending is one of very few ways to economically survive in Greece. The street vendors from Bangladesh denounced the situation at the 11th of April in the municipal council of Thessaloniki.
Antiracist Group Thessaloniki – Public Release about Street Vendors (in Greek)
The Afghan and the Irani hunger strikers call for a common protest infront of the Ministry of the Protection of the Citizen at the 9th of May 2011. 
In their common declaration they denounce the under-functioning of the asylum committees and the ongoing policy of zero asylum recognitions. Although the government had announced that 17 committees would start their work in the proceeding of asylum claims in the beginning of 2011 there are until now only 3 working and even these have additional technical and practical problems such as lacking money for ink!
Call for common protest by Afghan and Iranian refugees (in Greek)
In a press release the Greek NGO Aitima denounced at the 30th of April, that the authorities of Igoumenitsa had declared to their lawyer that each sans-papiers seeking asylum in the city would be arrested. These inhuman practice was applied for the first time at the 29th of the same month when a Sudanese sans-papiers put his asylum claim. He is now in the prison of Igoumenitsa.
The repression goes on….
Press Release of Aitima NGO:
PR: Aitima 30.04.11
At the 27th of April 2011 a new wave of police raids started in the centre of Athens. The repression against the sans-papiers continues. The police of deterrence is expressing itself in the most violent ways…..
http://www.enet.gr/?i=news.el.article&id=270792
The reform of the Greek Asylum Procedure was welcomed by Europe in the beginning of 2011. We ask: Is it really an improvement?
As far as one can observe until now the new asylum law is only selectively being applied. Additionally, the new procedures confront severe practical obstacles. We have not seen any improvement for refugees in Greece only a worsening of the situation. Migration and asylum policy are the very heart of the civil society and the state. Can we afford to look the other way and ignore severe human rights abuses of the most vulnerable parts of our society? There is a great importance in denouncing the continuance of human rights violations and, thus, in fighting against a European propaganda that will soon enough again beautify and mask the tragic reality of refugee life in Greece in order to protect the Dublin II regulation and start again the returns/ deportations of refugees back to Greece.
I stayed six months in detention in Evros. Not once we were allowed to go outside in the yard. My only chance was to beg the officers of the ‘good’ shifts to carry out the garbage. Only then I could see the sky for one minute, breath the air of freedom.
To whom it may concern
This is to inform the authority of UN that the female prison of Alexandra police Ferix (Ferres) need freedom, because most people here are due to be free. Most of them are three months and two months plus. And the environment we are is not good, example, the toilette and bathroom are attached to the room where we are sleeping, so when the water stopps running and there is no water to clean the toilette, it becomes impossible to sleep the room. In that case we all go outside to sleep.
We desire to know the reason why we black Africans are not released on time, while the white Africans are been released on time.
So therefore we have decided not to eat, because we need freedom, if they don’t free us, something terrible will happen. But all the same, we need freedom.
May god bless you. Amen.
I am talking as one of the detainees of this prison:
1. There is no freedom of speech here
2. We can not sleep in silence and safety
3. There is not enough food for all
4. There is no clean place to pray.
5. We want food that respects our religious restrictions on eating pork
6. The toilettes and shower are not clean, no humans can use them
7. The police officers does not respect religions in fascists way both muslim and christian and they don’t allow us to pray
8. There is no doctor and proper farmacy to take care of the sick
9. The cells are dirty, it smells, we are all sick. We all have skin problems and psychological problems
We all demand from the government to free us, to let us go to work in Europe.
We all came to Europe for work. We didn’t come here to cause trouble. We all left our countries because we were poor and hungry; there was no democracy in our home. We left because of the fascism we faced in our countries.
Please see our problems with a human eye and with mercy
In the name of god
Everybody knows that the reason why all the young people leave from their home countries is that they cannot live without freedom and justice.
This is why we chose this road.
This is why we are suffering. We regret our choice. The reason? Here in prison we are not fine. They violate our rights; there cannot be human rights within four walls. I don’t know what to think. We have been injured and our wounds teach us to flee to Greece – for the freedom. They teach us to live and claim our rights. But it is worse than we thought. I don’t know what to think; I don’t know which other road to follow. I don’t know, I don’t know, I don’t know where I will be.
Return, Europe or prison.
We had smiles and hope, but Greece embraced us with racism and with hate. A bitter hate and anger. My asylum is no sin. Why do we have to be here? The prison has burned our minds. I am sorry that I cannot describe all my life to you, but only I can write a small letter. Because I hate myself so much, I cannot even speak. Thank you for your co-operation, your help and for reading this letter.
From the detainees
Briefing Notes
This is a summary of what was said by UNHCR spokesperson Adrian Edwards – to whom quoted text may be attributed – at the press briefing, on 21 September 2010, at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.
Continue reading ‘UNHCR says asylum situation in Greece is ‘a humanitarian crisis’ 21.09.2010′