Blog 8: Human Rights in Greece

Human rights groups in Athens, Greece are accusing the government of subjecting people who are seeking asylums to an application process that is “degrading and illegal”. They are also claiming that the process is aiming to discourage them from formally requesting state protection. As many as fourteen groups in Athens claimed that refugees from various war zones that are unable to file for asylum because of Greek’s main processing center, (located in Athens). The center accepts as few as twenty applications each week. A fifty pare report criticizing the process is being sent to the European Union.

A coordinator of the study, Efthalia Pappa was quoted by saying, “The process is ridiculous, degrading, and illegal. It’s an insult to our humanity.” Examples of this system being degrading, as well as challenging human rights are later explained in the article. Instances of unaccompanied children and other asylum seekers having to wait in lines just to access the system have been reported. These persons have no access to food or even toilets at the asylum center. Evidence has also been found that criminal gangs were in charge of who made it to the front of the lines; at other time police had to use batons and pepper spray to “control the crowds”.  A lawyer who provide free advice to asylum seekers, Vassilis Kerasitotis, was quoted by saying, “The situation is a total jungle…We have no choice but to complain to the European Union.”

The situation here is the not only the injustice of the actions taking place by the government, but the question of human rights. Who is really in the wrong here? Is it wrong for illegal immigrants or refugees, as well are certain homeless groups, to want to seek shelter? Is the application process really as degrading and as hard to access as it is made out to be? This situation is basically presenting the question of, “Who rights, if anyone’s, are being taken away?”  

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/greek-rights-groups-slam-asylum-process-call-treatment-of-refugees-degrading-and-illegal/2012/10/19/28e879b4-1a0e-11e2-ad4a-e5a958b60a1e_story.html