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Greece: Defending human rights in times of border militarization

Topic
Immigration Asylum Borders Detention Law
Country/Region
Greece EU

23 October 2020

HumanRights360 presents its latest report on its work at the border of Evros, for the period May-September 2020.

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"The new legal asylum framework in Greece, in fully harmony with the EU’s proposal on the new pact on Asylum and Migration, have already raised concerns and have mobilized humanitarian organizations. Fast track procedures without relevant safeguards procedures for a fair and effective examination of applications of international protection have led to a non – individualized and reliable assessment of international protection’s claims. Furthermore, the crisis in Evros region and its management by the European and Greek political leadership have raised human rights protection issues and concerns.

The militarization of borders at national level, the purchase of grenades and weapons “to combat migratory flows”, the strengthening of FRONTEX, the constant and steady practice of illegal pushbacks create a pollical environment according to which the refugee-the immigrant is considered “unwelcomed”, if not an “enemy”...

Unfortunately, human rights protection in the near future appears bleak. In HumanRights360, we are concerned that the restrictive measures imposed in all RICs in Greece including RIC of Fylakio, Orestiada due to the Covid-19 outbreak, in the police stations and in the border guards, have been imposed not only in the view of protection of asylum seekers’ health, but, also in order to facilitate the implementation of a scheme which gradually would turn all reception and identification centers into closed ones. Furthermore, the limited access of humanitarian organizations in the RIC of Fylakio, Orestiada, during the prolonged lockdown, raises concerns about the possible consolidation and generalization of such a policy in the RICs." (emphasis added)

The report is available here and covers the following issues:

Contents

Introduction

  1. Crossing Evros Borders.
  2. The generalized practice of judicial authorities to convict newcomers with the offense of illegal entry.
  3. The militarization of the Borders
  4. Monitoring, advocating, and pursuing strategic litigation on the illegal practices at the land border of Evros.
  5. Reception and Identification Center’s (RIC) of Fylakio, Orestiada operation is challenged by the strict measures taken by the government against COVID-19
    1. Specific Considerations
    2. Developments on the field of transfers to shelters
  6. Evros Region as European Border
    1. The geopolitical significance of Evros
    2. Frontex implementation
    3. The new EU pact on the European Common Asylum System
  7. An alarming increase in racist speech and acts of racist violence
  8. An eye to the Future: a constant need for vigorous and collective advocacy of Human Rights

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