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Greece: Asylum and immigration

01 January 1991

Greece: Asylum and immigration
artdoc April=1995

Border crossing with Albania closed

Greece has closed an important border crossing for Albanians at
Kakavija. Not even Albanians with valid visas will be allowed
into the country. The move was in retaliation for the conviction
in Tirana of five ethnic Greeks on spying charges. The five,
members of the ethnic Greek organisation, `Omonia', were
sentenced to between six and eight years jail after being
convicted of illegal possession of weapons. The court heard how
the Greek government had given the men $130,000 to buy rifles to
arm ethnic Greeks to secede at a given time

Largest expulsion of Albanian immigrants in modern times

Greece has expelled some 70,000 Albanian illegal immigrants since
the trial in Albania of five members of `Omonia' commenced last
August. It has also sealed its borders to Albanians and vetoed
European Union aid to Albania, Europe's poorest country, and
threatened to step up its military presence in the region unless
Albania's treatment of its Greek minority improves. This is one
of the biggest purges against Albanian immigrants by the Greek
authorities in recent times. Landlords and employers in Greece
have been asked to hand over all Albanian immigrants for
screening (Financial Times 29.8.94, Guardian 8.9.94, Balkan News
2.10.94).

IRR European Race Audit, Bulletin no 11, December 1994. Contact:
Liz Fekete, Institute of Race Relations, 2-6 Leeke Street, London
WC1X 9HS. Tel: 0171 837 0041