UNHCR position document issued
Briefing Notes, 18 April 2008
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 18 April 2008, at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.
UNHCR has issued a position document advising governments to refrain from returning asylum seekers to Greece under the Dublin Regulation until further notice.
The Dublin Regulation provides for a system to determine responsibility for examining asylum claims lodged in the European Union according to specific criteria, and aims to ensure that each claim is fairly examined by one Member State to deter multiple applications and enhance efficiency.
While the Government of Greece has taken a number of steps to improve its asylum system and practice, a substantial number of asylum seekers continue to face serious challenges in accessing and enjoying effective protection in line with international and European standards. Essential procedural safeguards are not guaranteed throughout the refugee status determination process, both at first and second instance, to the detriment of asylum seekers. They also often lack the most basic entitlements, such as interpreters and legal aid to ensure that their claims receive adequate scrutiny from the asylum authorities.
As a result, asylum seekers continue to face undue hardships in having their claims heard and adequately adjudicated. Moreover, reception conditions in Greece continue to fall short of international and European standards.
UNHCR calls upon the Government of Greece to promptly review its asylum procedure at first and second instances and in so doing take in due consideration UNHCR's advice. Furthermore, other governments and the European Commission are encouraged to reinforce their support to Greece.
UNHCR remains committed to continue supporting the Government of Greece in strengthening its asylum system to a level reflecting international and European standards and good practice.
The link between movements of refugees and broader migration attracts growing attention.
Migrants are different from refugees but the two sometimes travel alongside each other.
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
Stocking of the 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
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.
The makeshift camp at Patras
Mexico: Fleeing Central American Gang Violence
Tens of thousands of people make their way to Mexico on mixed migration routes every year. They include victims of gang violence who need protection.
Greece: A Harsh Welcome to Europe
Mojahed has finally arrived in Greece after a long, perilous journey from his home in Darfur, Sudan. But conditions in Patras are dire.
Greek Gateway to Nowhere
Asylum-seekers see Greece as a gateway to Europe, but the reality is quite different.
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