PRO ASYL: EU Commission engages in human rights eradication
Brussels not only wants to send asylum seekers back to Greece into misery beginning in march 2017, but also intends to tighten the Turkey deal immensely: Refugees with family members in Europe and vulnerable groups (children, pregnant women, etc.) will be threatened by deportation to Turkey. Brussels has prompted Greece to tighten existing legislation in this sense. According to Greek law these especially vulnerable refugee groups on the Greek islands are not subject to the so-called admissibility procedure and thus not in danger of being sent back to Turkey.
Yesterday‘s announcements by the EU Commission regarding the situation of refugees in Greece and the implementation of the Turkey deal are a disgrace from the point of view of PRO ASYL. „The Commission is engaged in human rights eradication“, said Karl Kopp, Director for European Affairs at PRO ASYL.
Human dignity and the rights of refugees are being sacrificed to the deal
The EU has to a significant degree caused and conserved the humanitarian crisis on the Greek islands. About 60,000 protection seekers are stuck in the crisis-ridden country. Around 16,000 vegetate on the Greek islands since the Turkey deal came into effect on March 20th. But there are only accommodations for 7,450 people. Thousands of refugees dwell there under inhuman conditions and without any protection.
These protection seekers have to remain in the great „Aegean open air prison“ because Brussels and powerful governments, like the one in Berlin, have decreed it so. The appointee for hotspots of the EU Commission admitted the reasons for this on December 5th at the presentation of a report on hotspots from European NGOs including PRO ASYL in the European Parliament freely: continued movement of many refugees from the islands to the main land would mean the end of the Turkey deal. Because Erdogan only accepts refugees from the Greek islands.
In other words: Since Erdogan wants it like this and Europe is ready to commit any repulsive act to keep the dirty refugee deal alive, misery, despair and massive social tensions on the islands are simply being accepted.
Stop deportations into misery
While the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and international organizations are trying right now to bring thousands of stranded people in Greece from tents or homelessness into winterproof dwellings, the EU Commission announces the start of a resumption of Dublin transfers. Deportations into misery are not compatible with European law and the Convention on Human Rights. Since the „guardian of treaties“, the EU Commission, no longer fulfills its core mission, the courts will have to stop this. PRO ASYL will stand by the affected protection seekers and accompany them on the way through all judicial authorities up to the European Court of Human Rights.