News
Greece: Thousands of refugees out in the cold without shelter

In Greece, thousands of refugees are suffering in the bitter cold in unheated tents and makeshift shelters. Nonetheless, the German Ministry for the Interior (BMI) is planning to recommence deportations to Greece from March 15th. PRO ASYL instead demands swift rescue operations for people seeking protection.
By deliÂberaÂteÂly disÂreÂgarÂding the draÂmaÂtic situaÂtiÂon of more than 60,000 asylÂum seeÂkers stranÂded in Greece, the EU commission’s recomÂmenÂdaÂtiÂon and the BMI’s comÂmuÂniÂcaÂtiÂon (a docuÂment obtaiÂned by PRO ASYL) attempt to resÂcue an inhuÂmaÂne sysÂtem of responÂsiÂbiÂliÂty, under which DubÂlin-transÂfers to Greece are to recomÂmence after March 15th.
While thouÂsands of asylÂum seeÂkers are expoÂsed to bitÂterÂly cold conÂdiÂtiÂons and some may freeÂze to death, poliÂtiÂciÂans are cyniÂcalÂly whiteÂwashing the situaÂtiÂon in Greece.
Deportations will recommence on March 15th
TraÂgic, but not surÂpriÂsing: The BMI has adviÂsed that the curÂrent ban on deporÂtaÂtiÂons of asylÂum seeÂkers to Greece (which came into force in JanuÂary 2011) is to end on March 15th, 2017, and has insÂtrucÂted the FedeÂral AgenÂcy to deveÂlop a model to impleÂment the recomÂmenÂdaÂtiÂons forÂmuÂlaÂted by the EU comÂmisÂsiÂon on DecemÂber 8th, 2016.
AccorÂding to theÂse docuÂments, deporÂtaÂtiÂons to Greece are to recomÂmence to a “limiÂtÂed extÂent”; “vulÂnerable groups, incluÂding unacÂcomÂpaÂnied minors” are initiÂalÂly to be excluded from such deporÂtaÂtiÂons, and Greece has to guaÂranÂtee admisÂsiÂon in each indiÂviÂduÂal case priÂor to deporÂtaÂtiÂon taking place.

Create humane shelters
InsÂtead of enforÂcing DubÂlin-deporÂtaÂtiÂons, it is of cruÂcial importance to comÂpreÂhenÂsiÂveÂly invesÂtiÂgaÂte the abject failÂure of the sysÂtem of housing asylÂum seeÂkers in Greece and to house refuÂgees in humaÂne conÂdiÂtiÂons witÂhout delay. Human rights orgaÂniÂsaÂtiÂons have been working for months to get refuÂgees out of tents and miseÂraÂble camps.
NevertÂhelÂess, to this date the situaÂtiÂon remains unchÂanÂged. A few days ago, the Greek MinisÂter for MigraÂtiÂon claiÂmed that “theÂre are no refuÂgees or migrants living in the cold anyÂmoÂre” – howeÂver, given the conÂdiÂtiÂons in the EU hotÂspot camps on the Greek islands this stateÂment is cleÂarÂly untrue.
Open legal departure routes
It begs the quesÂtiÂon why – despiÂte the avaiÂlaÂbiÂliÂty of sufÂfiÂciÂent funds in EU budÂgets – thouÂsands of asylÂum seeÂkers are still witÂhout adeÂquaÂte shelÂter and are forced to live in the mud and – sinÂce the onset of winÂter – the snow. A scheÂme pasÂsed more than a year ago, under which refuÂgees were to be reloÂcaÂted from Greece to other EU countÂries, is bareÂly funcÂtioÂning eitÂher: To date, not even 10% of the planÂned numÂber of 63,000 peoÂpÂle have been reloÂcaÂted to other countries.
PRO ASYL calls upon the Greek governÂment, the EU ComÂmisÂsiÂon and also the GerÂman governÂment to finalÂly put an end to the sufÂfeÂring of asylÂum seeÂkers, espeÂciÂalÂly thoÂse on the Greek islands. InsÂtead of senÂding more peoÂpÂle into the miseÂraÂble conÂdiÂtiÂons theÂre, the tens of thouÂsands of peoÂpÂle alreÂaÂdy stranÂded in Greece must swiftÂly be granÂted legal onward passage.