Fascists attack squat in Athens with Minister of Public Order supervision

One more article on the issue at Fascists attack Villa Amalia squat in Athens, Greece

Some weeks ago we had posted the following (translating a newspaper article):

[M]arkoyannakis said the police faces two major challenges: illegal immigration and the action of anarchists. He added that the police will leave aside the issue of anarchists for now to tackle the illegal immigrants issue first.  For the latter, concentration camps are ready and waiting (source).  His plans for cleansing down town Athens from immigrants will be concluded in one month or so from now.

see this post: Public Order Ministry’s agenda translates into everyday anti-immigrant terror…

Markoyannakis directing police and "indignant citizens" on the spot

source: libcom.org article.

Submitted by taxikipali on Jul 10 2009

Nazi scum organised by the police in vigilante groups in Agios Panteleimonas attacked one of the oldest anarchist squats, Villa Amalias, 20 minutes after meeting with the Minister of Public Order.

On Thursday 9/7 the second mass protest march in a week took to the streets of Athens against State sponsored racism and police collaboration with fascist groups in the area of Agios Panteleimonas. The march which was organised by the left and numbered 5,000 protesters took to the Parliament.

Before the march protesters attacked a group of fascist parastate elements who have been trying to expand the apartheid imposed in Agios Panteleimonas to the near by Attiki square. After the successful ambush against the nazis, the Minister of Public Order, Mr Markoyannakis, infamous for his involvement in the huge Seimens scandal and for his pro-nazi views, visited Attiki square and then Agios Panteleimonas to hold common meeting with the fascist vigilante committee, led by Mr Pipikios, an officer of the Army renowned for his junta nostalgia and love for armed blackshirt formations. 20 minutes after the meeting of the State and parastate scum, a group of nazis left Agios Panteleimonas and attacked Villa Amalias, the 19 year old anarchist squat, with molotov cocktails and projectiles. Fascists had managed to set fire to the squat last year leading to extended damage to the historic building. This time the fascist attack was successfully repelled with fascists running for their lives behind police lines which came to their help.

The new incident of police-nazi cooperation brings the counterinsurgency strategy of the State into new perspective. It is the first time since the junta that a Minister meets with fascist combat groups. The policy of open State support of such murderous elements was commonplace even before the junta, under the government of K. Karamanlis (uncle of today’s PM) who actively supported EKOF, a prastate group designed to break up protest marches and terrorise the left.

Mr Markoyannakis first entered public office as a public persecutor of the colonels’ junta.

The bourgeois media have imposed an information black-out on the incident.

When the Minister met the Fascists (and OK’d them to attack an anarchist squat, it seems)

from “AFTER THE GREEK RIOTS” – occupied London blog

Christos Markoyannakis (pictured, centre) is a vice-minister for the Greek government. Mr Markoyanakis is head of the Vice-Ministry of Public Order – and he certainly does not lack the experience to fill the position. He launched his pubic sector career being appointed in the position of attorney general during the dictatorship (1967-1974). Old habits die hard: In the picture below, Mr Markoyanakis is chatting to the so-called “residents’ initiative” of the Ayios Panteleimonas neighbourhood in Athens. The front group for the neo-fascists of the Golden Dawn (Chrysi Augi), have imposed an Apartheid-style rule in the neighbourhood: Locking up the local playground “because it was used by migrants’ children” they chase away migrants from the area. Mr Markoyanakis visited yesterday (9 July) to offer his support to the “residents’ initiative”. Apparently one of the questions he was asked during this meeting was “how come he hasn’t yet evicted the Villa Amalias squat”. Villa Amalias is one of Athens’ longest-standing squats. Only minutes after Markoyanakis visited, a group of fascists tried to attack Villa Amalias with molotov cocktails. They were pushed back by anarchists defending the occupation. Even being backed up by the cops (Riot police and the newly-introduced “Delta” motorcycle force) the fascists failed in their attack.

To sum up: A junta-appointed attorney general and present government minister meets with a “residents’” group widely known to be a fascist front. Minutes after the meeting, fascists attempt to attack the local anarchist squat, backed by police force. Sometimes, the line between fascism and democracy is much, much thinner than we’d ever think.

Athens and Thessaloniki marches briefing – Immigrants are not alone!

photo of the march in Athens by uk indymedia

photoof the march in Athens by athens indymedia

ATHENS

source: exceprts from  uk indymedia article with modifications and in – text link by clandestinenglish.

[...] The march began at 20.00 o’clock in Omonoia Square, downtown Athens, the capital city of Greece.

Hundreds of counter-information flyers were distributed and a speech was made. The march (as shown in the photos) had about 2500 comrades, and this made the cops to keep themselves at safe distance.

During the march various texts were distributed, anarchist graffiti was drawn, security cameras were destroyed, as well as bank ATMs. The march proceeded towards Aghios Panteleimonas and when the head of the march was about to enter the district the cops immediately fired tear gas and shock grenades, with the comrades replying with stones and flare bombs.

The march had good defence and moved towards ASOEE (a public university in Athens specializing in economics; comrades in Greece take advantage of a sanctuary’s law, called asylum, that disallows the cops to enter university premises). There was somewhat of a chaos there for a while, as some comrades where entering the university campus while others were leaving to go fight the cops in the nearby Patision street. The whole Patision street was in fire.

Barricades built with trashbins set on fire were keeping the cops away and after the usual (for Greece) violent fighting between anarchist comrades and the cops (and the huge amount of chemicals released by them) the cops came under a well-organized attack that forced them to take cover in the 3rd September street, while the whole Patision street was again set on fire.

Many immigrants were participating in the march and they attacked Delta guards (Deltades) in Victoria Square (Deltades are stupid thugs the state uses as light-cops until real cops can arrive): when comrades informed the immigrants that real cops were coming to Victoria Square (so that those with no passports could leave in time to avoid arrest and forced repatriation), the immigrants, disregarding their own individual self-interest, attacked the Deltades thugs, who took cover at the nearby OTE bulding (OTE is the Greek National Telecommunications Company, recently privatized and sold to German T-Telekom).

After the march, the Aghios Panteleimonas district was full of immigrants and clear of fascist scum or cops. The fascists supported the cops in their attempt to drive the march out of Saint Pandeleimonas.

A fascist accidentaly set himself on fire while trying to use the anarchists’ weapons against them, a sport the fascists aren’t good at [clandestinenglish note: as many athens indymedia commentators note, throwing molotovs to unprotected people is definitely NOT a practice of anarchists in Greece].

an Eleftherotypia newspaper photo reproduced at Athens Indymedia, showing some fascist attempting to throw a molotov from within the riot police ranks at Aghios Panteleimonas

The anarchists carried multilingual banners in Greek, English, French, Arabic, Albanian, and other languages known to the immigrants. A banner held by comrades carrying black and red flags, both men and women, read: “war against bosses – solidarity with immigrants”.

THESSALONIKI

source: athens indymedia

The anarchist bloc, which was at the head of the march, consisted of more than 1000 people . The central banner read “Solidarity with the immigrants. No national unity. War on bosses.”.  There were two more banners on the side: “attack the concentration camps” and “fascists – para-state, back in your holes.   Five more blocs  of left parties and organizations followed, of a total number of ca. 500 people. Cops were following the course from a safe for them distance and did not approach the march.   Bank ATMs and cameras were smashed, much spraying, much leafleting and a very good overall attitude – and many “new” faces…

Videos & photos of Athens at

• http://athens.indymedia.org/front.php3?lang=el&article_id=1054883
• http://athens.indymedia.org/front.php3?lang=el&article_id=1054792
• http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2009/07/434041.html
• http://athens.indymedia.org/front.php3?lang=el&article_id=1055024

Read  also

Mass antiracist march in Athens ends in serious clashes at libcom.org

Greece: Fascists throw molotov against anarchists, but set themselves on fire!

Anti – racist march in solidarity with immigrants – Thessaloniki, Greece – text & photos by teacher dude

Youth left center attacked by fascists in Salonica before antifascist week across Greece

Source: libcom.org article submitted by the author taxikipali on July 5 2009.

photo: Athens Indymedia article

Sling, a youth center of the left in Salonica fell victim to a parastate-fascist attack in the run-up to a week of antifascist protest marches across Greece

In the early morning of Sunday 5/7 Sling, a youth left center in down town Salonica was attacked by a gas-arson mechanism planted by fascist-parastate elements in the run-up of the coming antifascist week that will see protest marches against the nazi onslaught against immigrants across the country. The attack, which failed to cause injuries and any serious damage, comes as a repetition of last years’ chain of gas-arson attacks against anarchist and left centers in Athens that left several political squats seriously burned. The attack took place in the same day that the official fascist party (LAOS) which holds a few seats in parliament announced its new policy of “patriotic attack”, promising 5-year employment of all unemployed people “of greek blood” in blackshirt paramilitary formations.

What follows is the communique of the Student Struggle Movements:

The Student Struggle Movements are denouncing to the greek people and youth the fascist attack on the morning of Sunday a little later than 3 am against the Youth Center “Sling” on Makriyannis street in down town Salonica with an arson mechanism. The Sling has been functioning only two months now with the the initiative of the Student Struggle Movements, a left struggling student collectivity, and has been set to the service of youth struggles against the system, its politics and “values” that it tries to impose on the youth. The attack is part of a strategy of tension of the capital and imperialism against the achievements of the people and its youth. It is especially part of a climate of terror and intensification of repression of the youth and the people
after the December explosion. Moreover it is part of a climate of xenophobia and racism that the imperialist EU and the parties of the big capital (New Democracy and PASOK) and their lackeys (LAOS) is trying to impose on the suffering workers of the country. The Student Struggle Movements, as part of the struggling youth and following its paradigm in the great struggles of the previous years, will not bow to this terror initiative. Along side the youth and the people we respond to the fascist attacks by intensifying our struggles -

STUDENT STRUGGLE MOVEMENTS

The fascist-parastate act comes as a lone strike after two days of relentless radical attacks against State targets: the Institute of Immigration Policy, the Information Department of the Ministry of Interior, the Center of Strategic Planning, the Army Officer’s Club, and several offices of the governing party were wholly or partially destroyed between Friday and Saturday. The intensification of so-called anarchist ‘diffused guerrilla’ (in opposition to the Marxist armed guerrilla) has publicly ridiculed the Law and Order bragging of the more and more ultra-right government which is under increasing pressure of resigning.

UNHCR: Greece’s new immigration policies based on “dangerous generalizations”

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Q&A: Greece’s new immigration policies based on “dangerous generalizations”

10 Jul 2009 15:47:04 GMT

Source: UNHCR

ATHENS, Greece, July 10 (UNHCR) – Greece has introduced strict policies aimed at combating irregular immigration and passed legislation that could compromise the effective protection of people applying for asylum for the first time or on appeal. Charis Karanikas of the Ta Nea daily newspaper recently met Giorgios Tsarbopoulos, head of UNHCR’s office in Athens, to talk about the implications of this new legislation and a police crackdown on alleged illegal immigrants.

Excerpts from the interview:

What do you think of the latest measures?

The reasoning behind them is based on dangerous generalizations. We cannot speak only about “illegal” immigrants. Amongst them are many people who are in need of protection and whom the state is obligated to protect.

Should police measures be beefed up?

Yes, as regards the smugglers and the traffickers. But the problem cannot be handled only by police measures. Harsher policing at the border must be coupled with the creation of reception facilities.

What can be done in neighbourhoods inundated by immigrants?

Firstly, all those who are entitled to it under the law should be referred to special accommodation facilities. They include asylum-seekers and unaccompanied minors. Today, hundreds of people who have a right to this are homeless. In general, there is a need for shelter planning, regardless of whether people are legal or illegal.Will the violence seen in the central Athens neighbourhood of Agios Panteleimon, home to many homeless Afghan migrants and asylum-seekers, spread to other areas?I hope not.

How can this be avoided?

By isolating the extreme reactions, which simply serve to shift the problem. And through a dialogue between the government and the political parties, initiatives taken by the municipalities as well as talks with organizations of immigrants and refugees.

Do you agree with transforming military camps into reception centres?

Reception facilities and administrative detention centres for immigrants in view of their deportation are two separate things. It’s not enough to turn some installations into detention centres if you pretend to create proper reception conditions.

Can Greece address this problem alone?

No.

What’s your opinion about the European Union’s stand on the matter?

It is steering clear of establishing binding mechanisms and practices for fairer responsibility sharing among the member states.

How many immigrants arrive in Greece each year?

In 2008, 146,337 people were arrested for “illegally entering and residing” in the country. There are, of course, others who have not been arrested. On the other hand, an unknown number of those who have been arrested were already residing in the country. Therefore the official data needs further analysis.

How many of them end up in existing reception centres?

All those who enter the country without papers are detained for up to three months at the administrative detention centres. Those who request asylum are transferred to open reception centres, which are too few to meet demand.

What are conditions like at these centres?

Most of the detention centres do not meet the basic conditions of human rights. The exceptions include the new centres on the island of Samos and in the Evros region [Filakio], however both are faced with problems of overcrowding.

What about reception conditions?

Reception facilities in border areas should include services and specialized staff in order to ensure the identification of people who are entitled to protection, assessment of their needs, information about their rights and obligations, and facilitation for their access to the asylum procedure.

Do you think the number of people who apply for asylum is less than the number who need it?

Those who deserve asylum are fewer than those who request it. And those who request it are not all refugees who genuinely deserve it.

Why don’t those who need asylum apply for it?

It’s because they don’t get the right information or legal advice, especially in the border areas. It’s also because they don’t manage to submit their application . . . or because they don’t trust Greece’s very problematic asylum system.

What are the main problems with Greece’s asylum system?

The initial processing and decision-making is unreliable, and the refugee recognition rate is almost zero. Not all asylum claims are registered swiftly, while many asylum-seekers lose their right to appeal. The procedure for adjudicating the claims is extremely slow.

What are the most common complaints you get from immigrants and refugees?

Delays in the adjudication of their asylum applications; lack of shelter and social care; informal push-backs or returns to Turkey across the Evros River [in north-east Greece], cases of ill-treatment.

And what do you do about them?

It depends. We address formal letters to the authorities; we try to solve the problem in an ad hoc way if possible; and we often refer individual cases to non-governmental organizations which provide legal and social support.

Fascists attack Villa Amalia squat in Athens, Greece

source: Athens Indymedia Article.

Fascists attack Villa Amalia squat in Greece

by Comrade from the South of Athens

Fascists under the cover of cops attacked the oldest anarchist squat in Greece with molotov cocktails and beaten a youth. Our comrades successfully driven away the fascists. The squat, Villa Amalia, suffered no damage.

From Wikipedia: “Villa Amalia is one of the first anarchist squats in Athens, Greece. It was first occupied in 1990. It is located in the corner of Acharnon and Cheyden streets, near “Victoria” square. Many punk, rock, hardcore and generally underground events take place at Villa Amalia. The police have evicted the squatters three times, but Villa Amalia has always re-occupied later on.”

Many comrades consider it the oldest anarchist squat in Greece and a symbol for the local anarchist movement. In Greek it is called Villa Amalias (Βίλλα Αμαλίας).

During the night of 9 July 2009 at 23:50, a gang of about 30 neonazi fascists supported by cops (both MAT, the Greek riot police, and Deltas) attacked the Villa Amalia squat in central Athens with molotov cocktails. The anarchists successfully defended their social centre against the fascists and driven them away, but not before they severely beat a youth nearby who needed an ambulance (still unclear whether he is a comrade).

The attack must have been pre-arranged by the cops and the fascists; after all their collaboration is well-known in Greece and is becoming more and more official (with dignitaries paying visits to the fascists). We cannot explain in any other way the fact that, according to still unconfirmed information, comrades who were on the nearby Liosion street at 21:00 spotted about 70 cops (of the Deltas team, not riot police). If true, then we must assume that they were the same cops who, together with riot police, were seen protecting the fascists during their attack against the anarchist squat.

The fascists, who must haven been members of the Golden Dawn neonazi association, approached the squat first, keeping themselves at a distance of about 50 metres, and shortly afterwards Delta cops appeared. MAT riot cops quickly came when more anarchists gathered in solidarity to defend their squat, Villa Amalia.

The fascists threw two molotov cocktails, the traditional people’s street weapon, against the symbolic Villa Amalia squat, but they failed to damage it due to their lack of skill in molotov throwing. The anarchists successfully driven out the fascists towards the Acharnon street, but the fascists then took cover behind a group of Delta cops, who together with the MAT riot police protected the fascists.

The fascists then severely beat a youth outside the squat, but it is still unclear whether he is a comrade. He had to be taken away by an ambulance, due to the hatred released on his body by the neonazis.

By 24:10 all the fascists were driven away by anarchists, of both genders, who were determined to selflessly defend their freedom and the oldest anarchist squat of Greece with a history of two decades. By 24:20 the surrounding streets were still infected with cops (Deltas and 2 or 3 MAT riot police squadrons who were seen talking with the fascists). Lots of comrades were gathered outside the squat to protect it in case the cops decided to raid it, but the cops preferred to back down and leave, knowing how dangerous people fighting for their freedom can be.

At 24:30 about 30-40 Delta cops were spotted leaving the region towards the Patisia district.

The fascists with their molotov cocktails apparently not only wanted to damage the squat but also to injure comrades, but they failed miserably to do either. Their only ’success’ was that they managed to hide behind the cops and leave. But in their panic, they left behind lots of traces. They had a rucksack full of molotov cocktails and smoke bombs, but they only managed to throw two molotovs and two smoke bombs, the latter two thrown at the pedestrian strip opposite the squat. As the anarchists moved to defend their squat, the fascists threw their rucksack on the street in their panic as they were running to hide behind the cops.

At 2:00 the a popular news network, as is usual with all capitalist spoonfed news outlets, said that an incident took place in central Athens and spread the propaganda that the cops are searching for the perpetrator of the molotov-throwing incident. But as every reader of Indymedia IMC knows, the cops’ real job is to protect the fascists during their attacks.

It is interesting to note that while the left feels paralyzed in Greece, the anarchist movement wins the hearts of more and more dissatisfied people and seems to be the only social movement capable of revolutionary groundbreaking social change.

As a final note, we should say that the anarchist movement is very old, but now that the capitalist class implements its globalization project and social democracy and communism have failed, we should expect more popular support for anarchism worldwide. Perhaps the society envisaged by Kropotkin, Bakunin, and even more ancient thinkers will soon come true.

Inside the Villa Amalia squat there is a banner on a wall containing a verse written by Herodotous: in Ancient Greek: "Ούτε γαρ άρχειν, ούτε άρχεσθαι εθέλω" - Ηρόδοτος translation in English: "I want neither to rule nor to be ruled" - Herodotus Histories 3:83.

• More information in Greek: http://athens.indymedia.org/front.php3?lang=el&article_id=1056072
• The Villa Amalia squat’s blog: http://villa-amalias.blogspot.com/
• Article (in Greek) and photos from the squat: http://athens.indymedia.org/front.php3?lang=el&article_id=70592
• Wikipedia article on Villa Amalia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Villa_Amalia_(Athens)

We do need your help in spreading and translating this news! Please do spread around and translate in more languages.

athens.indymedia.org/front.php3?lang=el&article_id=1056072

Fortress Europe’s “dissuasion effects” – FRONTEX predicts decrease in immigrants numbers

source

FRONTEX: ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION DOWN, -25% EXPECTED IN 2009

(ANSAmed) – ROME – In 2009 illegal immigration into Europe could fall by as much as 20 – 25% compared to 2008, says Gil Arias-Fernandez, deputy executive director of EU border agency, Frontex. Today he presented figures on illegal immigration in Europe regarding the first three months of 2009. Compared to the first quarter of 2008, there has been a 16% drop in the number of illegal immigrants arriving in Europe, and a 20% drop in Italy.

Overall in this period 20,200 illegal immigrants are thought to have arrived in Europe, 2,586 (13%) of whom arrived in Italy. The amount of people entering Europe by land or air has fallen particularly, considering that 8% of illegal immigrants arrived by boat.

The total number of illegal immigrants in the EU in January, February and March 2009 was 90,800 (11,080 in Italy), 16% fewer (12% for Italy) than in the first quarter of 2008. Last year 145 thousand illegal immigrants came to Europe. Italy had the greatest number of immigrants arriving by boat, 37 thousand, or 41% of the total.

In 2009, Frontex is expecting to see trends change. ”The trends of the last few months, along with forecasts,” the deputy director said, ‘’show that illegal immigration could fall by as much as 20-25%. If sea routes change, it could remain stable at 16% or drop to 10%.”

Arias-Fernandez believes that numbers have fallen due to the economic crisis and the fact that some countries have been repatriating illegal immigrants, as well as the agreements made between Italy and Libya.

Meanwhile, the arrival of illegal immigrants in Sicily and Sardinia has fallen by 54% and 56% respectively. The decrease in the number of arrivals, according to Arias-Fernandez, was also influenced by the agreements made between Italy and Libya.

”From January 1 2009 to July 5,” he affirmed, ”there were 333 illegal arrivals according to our people in the field. For the same period last year there were 776.

As for Sicily, including Lampedusa, the figure passed from last year’s 14,806 to 6,760 this year. From May 15 on, that is from when the agreements became effective, our agents noticed even more of a decrease.

The decrease in this last month and a half may have even reached -70%.” A positive vote therefore for the agreements between Italy and Libya. ”Based on our statistics,” Arias-Fernandez concluded, we are able to say that the agreements have had a positive impact.

On the humanitarian level, fewer human lives have been put at risk, due to fewer departures. But our agency does not have the ability to confirm if the right to request asylum as well as other human rights are being respected 3in Libya.” The arrivals from sea on Italy’s shores from the Mediterranean represent around 5% of the total of illegal migrants, while the other 95% come from the East, often carrying tourist visas (ANSAmed).

Letter by detainee Th.Iliopoulos, beginning a hunger strike, 9 July

source

‘… I begin a hunger strike. It’s the only way I have as a detainee to shout for freedom and denunce the great inustice…’

Image scaled down

Thodoris Iliopoulos, detained at the Court Prisons of Koridalos (in Athens, Greece) from 22 December 2008, after the refusal of his appeal for freedom and their decision to continue my detainment for 6 more months in prison, begins a hunger strike by tomorrow, Friday 10 July.

Here’s his letter written from the A’ Coridor of the Koridalos Prisons:

Today, 9 July 2009

On 8 July, after 6 and 1/2 months in prison, where I am kept detained after the December Uprising, charged with acts that I never did, they [TN: Συμβούλιο Πλημμελειοδικών, Simvoulio Plimeliodikon, Council of Jurists] decided to continue my detainment.

It’s the only decision that called for continuation of detainment for such a case, when all the other detainees for the December Uprising, charged with the same or other acts, have all been freed.

This decision proves the personal antipathy and hate against me; they can neither rationalize nor explain it, for it’s a decision taken for personal dislike, unjustly and illegally, as in any detainment.

Against this hate that is being expressed against my person, against this unjust ‘punishment’ that I am subjected to as a detainee, against this continued refusal on the part of the jurists and the prosecutors to see the real facts and the truth of the case, against this apparent and unprecedented discrimination against me, I’ve no other way to fight except my own body.

I begin a hunger strike. It’s the only way I have as a detainee to shout for freedom and denunce the great injustice.

[TN: The only way to] To denunce the hate and the prejudice of the mechanism of the ‘penal law’. To denunce the arbitrariness and the violence of a blind ‘justice’ and its even more ‘blind’ employees.

From Friday 10 July I stop accepting food and I submit a letter announcing my hunger strike to the prison administration.

Those who experienced the events of the December Uprising, those who experienced the violence of the mechanisms [TN: of the state, police, etc], those who experienced the cruelty of the cell without a sentence or with a sentence, those who know that the only way for freedom is resistance, those who fight against the arbitrariness of the courts and its horror, they are those who can understand me and will support me.

I thank them right now.

Thodoris Iliopoulos (Θοδωρης Ηλιοπουλος)

Koridalos Prisons (Φυλακές Κορυδαλού)

[TN: end of letter]

http://kratoumenoieksegersis.blogspot.com/

http://kratoumenoieksegersis.blogspot.com/2009/07/9.html

http://athens.indymedia.org/front.php3?lang=el&article_id=1055691

Translated from Greek in solidarity with those who experience the horror of state repression and the inhuman conditions of prison. Feel free to put it into blogs, other IMCs etc!

The FRONTEX job: the first ever deportation coordinated by Frontex on the high seas

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Frontex handover of migrants to Italy results in forced repatriation

Karl Stagno-Navarra

The European Union border agency Frontex operating from Malta has for the first time ever coordinated a mission that led to the forced repatriation operation of migrants at sea.
74 illegal migrants sighted last Thursday afternoon by a Maltese private aircraft at approximately 126 miles south-east of Malta, was transmitted to a German Puma helicopter participating in Operation Nautilus IV that is being coordinated from Malta.
Senior military sources revealed with MaltaToday that the German helicopter was instructed to work closely with the Italian coast-guard in the area, that picked up the migrants Friday morning, and handed them over to a Libyan patrol boat.
The Italian army is participating in another joint patrol along with France, to monitor the Sardignia-Lampedusa route.
The mission has been defined as the first ever forced repatriation operation coordinated by Frontex on the high seas. Even though the migrants were intercepted by an Italian coast guard boat, the same migrants, that included women and children were identified by a Frontex asset that followed the operation through.
Meanwhile Italian police have reportedly been in contact with the Maltese authorities, after 10 migrants who escaped from Safi and Marsa detention and open centres, were apprehended in Sicily.
The migrants were caught on the Ragusa coast shortly after being ferried by a Maltese speedboat.
The news re-opens past issues with the Italian authorities following a series of tragic trips by speedboats driven by Maltese criminals that exploit the migrants and secretly take them to Sicily.

Immigration in the Greek military agenda

Athens. Greece’s government council for foreign policy and defense (ΚΥΣΕΑ) is to hold a meeting on Wednesday to discuss illegal immigration, Greek ANA-MPA agency reported.
At the meeting, which will be chaired by Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis, the council is expected to allow the use of Ritsona drill ground as a center for accommodating illegal immigrants before their repatriation.

source

Apart from the above, the agenda of the meeting and the ways “domestic” and “geopolitical” issues pertaining to immigration interweave are absolutely terrifying (info from this eleftherotypia article).

The military wants to form a new – military, of course – service to guard Greek sea borders; the Port Police do not want to compromise their jurisdiction, yet, they are said to acknowledge that they cannot cope with immigrant flows.

The issue of Greek military’s “humanitarian” missions in NATO war fronts (in the countries of origin of refugees, that is) will be dealt.  NATO puts pressure to the Greek government to contribute more (…).  The issue for the Greek government is… to return to a previous regulation under which its military expenditures do not appear in the state’s annual budget (so that theeconomy’s indices look better vis-a-vis the forthcoming elections and to the EU’s superintendence).   In a similar vein, the minister of defense put pressure on the EU to exempt the military (”humanitarian”) expenditures from the calculation of the trade deficit, since much of it is due to these military expenditures.

More posters from Thessaloniki calling for tomorrow’s (7/7) march (greek texts) – Let us all tomorrow join the protest!