Greece, the European Council for refugees and exiles documents the degradation of rights: solidarity, freedom of the press, NGOs are criminalized

ROME – They are called Closed and Controlled Access Centers (CCACs), are funded by the European Union, and are strictly controlled by the police. The NGO Refugee Support Aegean (RSA) describes the CCACs opened in the Aegean islands as places where there is a prison regime because refugees are considered as detainees. The centers opened in Samos, Kos and Leros are surrounded by a double security barrier, are monitored by modern systems, residents are checked with metal detectors every time they enter and leave, and so are their luggage. Furthermore, the CCACs are located in remote areas, reaching them is very difficult and for this reason people live even more isolated. To worsen the overall picture of respect for human rights in Greece denounces theECRE extension – comes the ranking of Reporters Without Borders which rates Athens as the worst European country for press freedom.

The shortcomings of the CCACs. Refugee Support Aegean he also points out the shortage of doctors in the center of Samos in particular, the shortage of basic necessities such as hot water, services for children, the absence of psychosocial support, frequent power cuts, delays in disbursement of benefits. More than the others, the center of Samos violates the standards of human rights protection, both for the degrading conditions in which its guests live and for the detention of unaccompanied minors.

The dead of Moria. The Court of Appeal of Athens, after six years, has condemned the Greek authorities for the living conditions in the refugee camp of Moria, in Lesvos. In particular, the Court focused on the case of two refugees who died of carbon monoxide inhalation while heating themselves with stoves and ordered the authorities to compensate the families of the victims.

The criminalization of humanitarians. The Greek government’s repression against humanitarians and associations that assist people on the move continues. Mare Liberum, an organization that monitors the Aegean, has announced its disbandment. “We have experienced sabotage, obstruction and repression during our stay in the Aegean, and not just in Greece. The Hellenic Coast Guard has repeatedly attempted to intimidate us, through reckless maneuvers or radio calls, through repeated checks and interrogations of our documents. He went out of his way to stop us from surfing. And to make matters worse, the Greek police raided our ship, searched it and are now investigating us on flimsy grounds,” he writes. Mare Liberum in a note. Furthermore, the director of the Greek Helsinki MonitorPanayote Dimitras, and the founder of Aegean Boat ReportTommy Olsen, are facing prosecution for their work documenting and saving lives in the Aegean.

The Hellenic Coast Guard. Meanwhile, the Hellenic Coast Guard will spend more than €3 million on a new state-of-the-art maritime surveillance system in the Northern Aegean. The declared objective is to improve safe navigation – denounces the NGO Mobile Info Team – yet the Coast Guard has repeatedly failed to rescue boats in distress. May 2nd Alarm Phone reported the presence of about 39 refugees, including 20 children and people with health problems, stranded on an islet. The Coast Guard waited two days before intervening and helping them.

Solomon’s investigation. A research by the collective of investigative journalists Solomon documented the ordeal of ten asylum seekers who reached Samos in January 2023. They thought Greece would provide them with protection but things turned out very differently. After the authorities were informed of their arrival, the group of asylum seekers suffered torture and degrading treatment, including orders to undress and theft of phones, money and all valuables by masked men. “We were tied up with cables and put into the back of a van,” said Samah, a refugee. The group was then taken on a boat, the people were made “like sardines”, left adrift on the Evros River and pushed back towards Turkey.

Turkey is not a safe country. Turkey is increasingly dangerous for refugees, especially in view of the May 14 elections. Almost all alliances, with the exception of the pro-Kurdish one and the left-green one, have pledged to send nearly 4 million Syrians home if they win the elections. In addition to anti-migrant sentiment, refugees in Turkey struggle to survive due to inflation, unemployment and poverty. Human Rights Watch reports that Turkish border guards are shooting indiscriminately at Syrian civilians on the border with Syria, as well as torturing and using excessive force against asylum seekers and migrants attempting to enter Turkey.