Officials Turn Blind Eye to Abuse of Asylum Seekers

European Commission Bankrolls Anti-Immigrant Policies

▻http://www.globalpolicy.org/nations-a-states/citizenship-and-nationality/52351-european-commission-bankrolls-anti-immigrant-policies.html?itemi

Observers are concerned that funding from the European Commission is being used to finance policies and procedures that violate the rights of migrants and asylum-seekers in Greece, many of whom are fleeing the violence in Syria. Migrants have allegedly been subjected to arbitrary detainment, mistreatment while in the custody of Greek authorities, and unsuitable detention conditions. Some European political figures note that Europe appear reluctant to aid Greece with its devastating social and economic crisis, but are actively financing anti-immigrant measures. They argue that this arrangement of priorities is incompatible with the EU’s stated commitment to human rights.

#migrations #asile #europe

Officials Turn Blind Eye to Abuse of Asylum Seekers | ReliefWeb
►http://reliefweb.int/report/greece/officials-turn-blind-eye-abuse-asylum-seekers

L’Opération « Aspis » (bouclier) pour empêcher les réfugiés (syriens et autres) de passer la frontière gréco-turque, l’opération « Zeus Xenios » (protecteur des étrangers) pour rafler les migrants dans les rues, et les conditions de détention dans les centres de rétention grecs.

Last August, Greek police deployed 1,881 new officers along the river Evros in “Operation Aspis”, an attempt to seal the border with Turkey, through which Syrian refugees were pouring into Greece.

Meanwhile, the continuing countrywide “Operation Xenios Zeus” has led to 4,849 arrests of irregular migrants or refugees and over 90,000 apprehensions based on heavy racial profiling by authorities.

Commencement of these operations coincided with the beginning of a major humanitarian crisis in Syria, with fighting transferred into big urban centres and the number of refugees fleeing to neighbouring countries skyrocketing.

In order to accommodate arrested migrants, the government has begun transferring detainees to improvised camps that were former police academies and old army depots, such as Xanthi and Komotini in northern Greece, Korinthos in the Peloponnese, and Paranesti in the northeastern region of Drama. These buildings, as former inmates like Alhamauun disclosed to IPS, are often black holes for human rights.

#Grèce #Camps #Droit_d'asile #Syrie #Réfugiés