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Greece: Boat arrivals from Turkey dramatically up this year

Briefing Notes, 5 October 2007

This is a summary of what was said by UNHCR spokesperson Ron Redmond – to whom quoted text may be attributed – at the press briefing, on 5 October 2007, at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.

While the numbers of irregular arrivals by sea in Italy and Spain are decreasing – by as much as 60 percent in the case of the Canary Islands – the number of migrants and asylum seekers arriving in Greece by boat from Turkey has increased dramatically this year. Among those arriving by boat are Iraqis, Afghans and Somalis.

The average number of people arrested, intercepted or rescued by the Greek Coast Guard every year since 2002 has been around 3,000. So far this year, there have been almost 4,500 such cases, according to Coast Guard figures. The Greek Police quote even higher figures, reporting close to 5,000 people arrested in the islands of Samos, Chios and Lesvos alone.

In Samos, the Greek police reported some 2,400 people arriving irregularly by boat during the first eight months of the year, compared with 1,580 for the whole of last year, and 455 in 2005. The situation was similar in Lesvos, with 1,926 people arriving as of August this year, compared with 1,766 for the whole of last year and 1,696 the year before.

As a result of the increase in the number of arrivals, detention centres in Samos, Chios and Lesvos are experiencing serious problems of overcrowding.

This week, following a regular visit to Samos, we expressed strong concerns regarding conditions at the holding centre there, with increased overcrowding and a lowering in the standards of hygiene representing serious health hazards. UNHCR called for the immediate closure of this centre.

We welcome the announcement by the Interior Ministry of Greece that all persons currently in the old centre will be transferred to a newly built centre in Samos which will open at the end of this month.

Asylum seekers in Greece include an increasing number of Iraqis, as well as people from other countries in the Middle East, the Horn of Africa and South Asia. In the first six months of this year alone, some 3,500 Iraqis applied for asylum in Greece, the second highest number in any industrialised country, after Sweden. This figure includes people arriving by land and air as well as by sea.

Irregular entrants in Greece face major difficulties to access asylum procedures. These include lack of information about their rights and asylum procedures, lack of qualified interpreters and insufficient legal aid. A guide to asylum procedures in Greece published by the Greek Ministry of Public Order with UNHCR's help is expected to contribute to ameliorate the situation.

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Refugee Protection and Mixed Migration: A 10-Point Plan of Action

A UNHCR strategy setting out key areas in which action is required to address the phenomenon of mixed and irregular movements of people. See also: Schematic representation of a profiling and referral mechanism in the context of addressing mixed migratory movements.

International Migration

The link between movements of refugees and broader migration attracts growing attention.

Mixed Migration

Migrants are different from refugees but the two sometimes travel alongside each other.

Europe

Irregular Migration by Sea: Frequently Asked Questions

Asylum and Migration

All in the same boat: The challenges of mixed migration around the world.

Implementation of the 10-Point Plan in Different Regions

Regional Stakeholder Conferences

Regional Conference on Refugee Protection and International Migration in Central Asia
(Almaty, Kazakhstan, 15-16 March 2011)
Regional Conference on Mixed Movements and Irregular Migration from the East and Horn of Africa and the Great Lakes Region to Southern Africa
(Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania, 6-7 September 2010)
Regional Conference on Refugee Protection and International Migration in the Americas: Protection Considerations in the Context of Mixed Migration
(San José, Costa Rica, 19-20 November 2009)
Regional Conference on "Refugee Protection and International Migration in the Gulf of Aden"
(Sana'a, Yemen, 19-20 May 2008)
Regional Conference on Refugee Protection and International Migration in West Africa
(Dakar, Senegal, 13-14 November 2008)

Expert Roundtables

10-Point Plan Expert Roundtable No.1: Controlling Borders while Ensuring Protection
(Geneva, Switzerland, 20-21 November 2008)
10-Point Plan Expert Roundtable No.2: Different People, Different Needs
(Tunis, Tunisia, 6-8 July 2009)
10-Point Plan Expert Roundtable No.3: The Return of Non-Refugees and Alternative Migration Options
(Geneva, Switzerland, November 30-December 1, 2009)

Stocking of the 10-Point Plan Project

Achievements, Challenges and Lessons Learned from UNHCR's 10-Point Plan project

Beyond the Border

In 2010, the Turkish border with Greece became the main entry point for people attempting by irregular methods to reach member states of the European Union, with over 132,000 arrivals. While some entered as migrants with the simple wish of finding a better life, a significant number fled violence or persecution in countries such as Afghanistan, Eritrea, Iraq and Somalia. The journey is perilous, with many reports of drowning when people board flimsy vessels and try to cross the Mediterranean Sea or the River Evros on the border between Greece and Turkey. The many deficiencies in the Greek asylum system are exacerbated by the pressure of tens of thousands of people awaiting asylum hearings. Reception facilities for new arrivals, including asylum-seekers, are woefully inadequate. Last year, UNHCR visited a number of overcrowded facilities where children, men and women were detained in cramped rooms with insufficient facilities. UNHCR is working with the Greek government to improve its asylum system and has called upon other European states to offer support.

Beyond the Border

George Dalaras

The makeshift camp at Patras

Thousands of irregular migrants, some of whom are asylum-seekers and refugees, have sought shelter in a squalid, makeshift camp close to the Greek port of Patras since it opened 13 years ago. The camp consisted of shelters constructed from cardboard and wood and housed hundreds of people when it was closed by the Greek government in July 2009. UNHCR had long maintained that it did not provide appropriate accommodation for asylum-seekers and refugees. The agency had been urging the government to find an alternative and put a stronger asylum system in place to provide appropriate asylum reception facilities for the stream of irregular migrants arriving in Greece each year.The government used bulldozers to clear the camp, which was destroyed by a fire shortly afterwards. All the camp residents had earlier been moved and there were no casualties. Photographer Zalmaï, a former refugee from Afghanistan, visited the camp earlier in the year.