Refugees in Greece are waiting for indefinite periods for their family reunification to Germany. PRO ASYL and Refugee Support Aegean (RSA) are calling for an end to be put to the suffering of more than two thousand refugees who are stuck in Greece while waiting to be reunited with their family members in Germany.

Refugee Support Aegean, implementing partner of PRO ASYL in Greece, reports on serious gaps in the provision of medical and psychological care for refugees on the Aegean islands. Following the non-renewal of the contracts for NGOs to provide medical and social services and vulnerability assessments on the island, urgent needs are no longer met.

The issue of the identification, protection and support of unaccompanied minors in Greece remains urgent. Many of these children are essentially unprotected, often incorrectly registered, and may even end up homeless in the streets of Greek cities, exposed to grave dangers.

The current living conditions of beneficiaries of international protection in Greece are alarming. In a detailed legal note, PRO ASYL and the team of Refugee Support Aegean (RSA) in Greece have observed that their rights and effective protection exist only on paper.

According to the Court’s reasoning that will be published soon, the deaths in the Farmakonisi case were caused due to the intervention of the Greek coastguard authorities as the boat carrying the refugees was towed by the coastguard vessel. A young Syrian refugee and the 16th survivor of the deadly boat accident was acquitted of any responsibility.

In an extensive policy paper, the team of Refugee Support Aegean (RSA) in Greece has observed that in numerous cases of refugee deaths at the hotspots on Greek islands, the Greek authorities have undertaken little or no investigation, turning the hotspots into an institutional gray zone.

Must someone die for the families stuck at the Algerian-Moroccan border to receive water, food, and the protection they are entitled to? Our organisations call for an immediate solution to be found, before it is too late.

Germany and other European states are cranking up the deportation pressure on Greece. It is not just about the admission of people under the Dublin regulation; even individuals recognised as refugees are targeted. A decision published on May 24th, 2017 by the German Federal Constitutional Court has now put a damper on such endeavours.

Since 18 April, 41 Syrian refugees including women and children are stuck at the Algerian-Moroccan border – without access to health care, food or sufficient drinking water. Humanitarian support for the refugees and access to their right to protection is urgently needed. UNHCR has to get access to the protection seekers without delay.