Five migrants killed in Astakos

Five people were killed on Friday evening when the van on which they were aboard crashed, 5 km from the town of Astakos (located in west Greece, by the Ionian sea).
According to the Police, aboard the, driven by Bulgarian traffickers, van were about 30 migrants, probably of Kurdish origin.

European Court finds a Turkish migrant was tortured by one of the Greek coastguard officers supervising him

In the Chamber judgment of January 17, 2012, in the case Zontul v. Greece, the European Court of Human Rights held, unanimously, that there had been a violation of Article 3 (prohibition of torture and inhuman or degrading treatment) of the European Convention on Human Rights.

The applicant, Necati Zontul, is a Turkish national who was born in 1968 and lives in London (United Kingdom).
On 27 May 2001 he and 164 other migrants boarded a boat in Istanbul which was bound for Italy. On 30 May the vessel was intercepted by Greek coastguards and escorted to the port of Chania (Crete). The migrants were placed in a disused merchant navy training school. According to Mr Zontul, the conditions of detention there were poor and several detainees were deliberately attacked by guards. He alleged that, between 1 and 6 June 2001, several detainees had been taken into a room from which they had emerged with injuries and, in some cases, unable to walk. There had also been reports of mock executions and Russian roulette.

On 5 June 2001 Mr Zontul reported that two coastguard officers had forced him to undress while he was in the bathroom. One of them had threatened him with a truncheon and had then raped him with it. One of the applicant’s fellow detainees had helped him back to the dormitory after the officers had left. In protest at that incident, the detainees had decided to go on hunger strike the following morning. Some of the coastguard officers had then burst into the dining room and gathered the detainees together, before beating them with truncheons and splashing them with water and a product resembling eau de cologne. One of the detainees had been made to “jump like a rabbit”.

The Court reiterated that the rape of a detainee by an official of the State was to be considered as an especially grave and abhorrent form of ill-treatment.

Under Article 41 (just satisfaction) of the Convention, the European Court held that Greece was to pay the applicant 50,000 euros (EUR) in respect of non-pecuniary damage and EUR 3,500 in respect of costs and expenses.

Read European Court’s decision here.

LOST AT BORDER – A journey to the lost and the dead of the Greek borders

LOST AT BORDER <http://lostatborder.antira.info/> reports on the reality of loss and death at the Greek borders. As a close friend of ours said once: “If you are a refugee and you die nobody asks any questions. But for living somewhere, everybody is questioning you!” We want to break the silence and ask: What happened with all these people whose traces got lost?

6 immigrants missing in Evros

Two plastic boats, loaded with sans-papiers immigrants trying to cross Evros river, capsized early today morning. Up to now, rescue teams have discovered 6 immigrants. The rescued immigrants are two Afghans from the one boat (on which 4 more were aboard)  and 4 nationals of Bangladesh who, along with two other compatriots tried to cross the river Evros, but without success, as their boat also overturned.

Investigations are continuing to find and rescue the missing immigrants (4 Afghans and 2 Bangladeshi), while the survivors were transferred for first aid to the Health Center for Orestiada.

Police raid in Patras

Early this morning, between 6.30 and 7.00 am, police forces raided the old redundant textile factory of Peiraiki Patraiki in Patras where a group of sans-papiers had found refuge. In this same building, two days ago, an immigrant boy died of suffocation, trying to keep warm.
More than 50 persons were arrested. After the arrests, Port Police set on fire clothes and personal belongings of the immigrants and some temporary residence permits! A number of buildings was also set on fire. Fire brigade arrived an hour later…

Immigrant boy dies of suffocation in Patras

Τhree  Afghani youngsters (between 15-20 years old), who had recently arrived in the port city of Patras, were temporarily sleeping in the cabin of an abandoned truck in the old redundant textile factory of Peiraiki Patraiki. In order to keep warm yesterday during the cold night (Monday, January 2), they lit a fire in a small vessel. There was no window or door open in the road tractor, and the lack of oxygen caused the suffocation to death of one of the boys. The other two were taken to hospital in a critical condition.

300 migrants in hunger strike in greece

Statement by the 300 migrant hunger strikers – March 13, 2011

The hunger strike of the three-hundred migrant workers has ended. The struggle for a world of equality, solidarity and freedom continues!

March 9, 2011 6pm: THE HUNGER STRIKERS WON!!!!!

Evros: 3 more dead immigrants

On Friday March 18, a military patrol discovered the dead bodies of 3 immigrants in the area Petalo of river Evros. The dead immigrants were men, between 25 and 30 years old.

Igoumenitsa: One more dead refugee

On Friday April 1, 2011, a 23-24 years old Afghan refugee was found dead at the port of Ancona. The dead refugee was hiding in a truck coming from Igoumenitsa and died of suffocation.

Nato units left 61 African migrants to die of hunger and thirst

Exclusive: Boat trying to reach Lampedusa was left to drift in Mediterranean for 16 days, despite alarm being raised

Refugees from Libya reach Lampedusa. A Nato ship failed to rescue a boat in trouble – leaving 61 people on board to die. Photograph: Francesco Malavolta/EPA

Dozens of African migrants were left to die in the Mediterranean after a number of European and Nato military units apparently ignored their cries for help, the Guardian has learned.

A boat carrying 72 passengers, including several women, young children and political refugees, ran into trouble in late March after leaving Tripoli for the Italian island of Lampedusa. Despite alarms being raised with the Italian coastguard and the boat making contact with a military helicopter and a Nato warship, no rescue effort was attempted.

Fascist pogroms in Athens, one migrant stabbed to death, 17 hospitalized

In the early hours of May 12th a 21-year old Bangladeshi migrant was stabbed to death in the Kato Patisia district of Athens. The victim was lethally stabbed almost certainly by fascist thugs who have launched a series of attacks in the centre of Athens following the murder of a Greek man on Tuesday night, on the corner of Ipirou and Tritis Septemvriou Street. Eye witnesses report that the murderers of the 21-year old man chased him around the neighbourhood and spoke Greek. On Wednesday night alone fascist thugs roamed  through a number of districts of central Athens, injuring many migrants, 17 of them were hospitalised.

Video from the pogrom

Two dead, child missing when dinghy carrying migrants turns over

A man and an eight year old child drowned while another child was missing in the sea off Nikopolis, Preveza, northwestern Greece on Wednesday, when a dinghy carrying 24 sans-papier migrants overturned in the water.
(18.05.2011)

Evros fence to be built, detentions centers announced

Citizen’s protection minister Christos Papoutsis announced the government’s decision to set up detention centres for migrants and released the plans of the fence that will finally be built in the Evros region. The announced detention camps and screening centers are:

1. Laconia, sparta = detention camp
2. Chios, Mersinidi= detention camp
3. Samos, Vathy = screening center
4. Amygdaleza, Attica = screening center for minors
5. Εlliniko, Attica the old jails = detention camp
6. Elliniko, Attica the new jails = screening center
7. Petrou Ralli Police Station, Aliens Bureau (Attica) = detention camp
8. Aspropyrgos, Attica = detention camp
9. Vena, Rhodopi = detention camp
10. Fylakio, Evros = detention camp + in prefabricated houses in an adjacent public land= screening center
11. Prefecture of Thesprotia (Igoumenitsa, Sayada, Filiates, Syvota, Paramythia,Margariti, Acherontas) = taking into consideration 3 proposals for the construction of a detention camp outside the city of Igoumenitsa
12. Aitolakarnania, Stanos – in Psarogiannis’ military camp = detention camp
13. Evros, Karoti, former military camp Filiridi = detention camp
14. Orestiada, Evros = Taking into consideration the proposal for the construction of a multi-dynamic centre (asylum service, screening center, Frontex Administration, Orestiada’s Police Department, Orestiada’s Fire Brigade)

Igoumenitsa/Greece: Interviews with Sudanese and Eritrean refugees

At the 3rd of May, the refugees’ settlements in the mountain of Igoumenitsa (the second largest port from Greece towards Italy) have been attacked by fascists out of a demonstration. Afterwards the police drew an invisible ‘red line’ and prevented refugees from entering the city. More than 450 refugees have been arrested in May 2011 – double than the average monthly arrests of 2010. Police guards the garbage cans and so the refugees are starving from hunger. Refugees from Sudan and Eritrea talk about their situation in the following two long interviews by Infomobile.

• “We were persecuted in our home countries, now we are persecuted here!” – Interview
• “You always wish it’s your last day here in Komunisia.” – interview

Igoumenitsa police tear down migrant camp, 50 arrests

More than 50 migrants were arrested early Thursday as Igoumenitsa police launched a major sweep operation at dawn for illegal migrants in the pine forest of Ladochori, which is situated across the entrance to the Igoumenitsa New Harbor.

The migrants fled a makeshift camp they had set up in the forest, when they became aware of the police forces.

A chase ensued in the forest, and more than 50 migrants were arrested, while the precise number of migrants living in the camp, comprising camping tents and shacks, was unknown.

Municipal crews arrived shortly afterwards and began cleaning up the area from tons of trash that had accumulated, while the shacks were also being torn down.

Police said that following Thursday’s operation, there were no longer any sans papiers migrant camps in the area

http://www.athensnews.gr/portal/1/42866

EU marine intercepts migrants off Crete

Egyptian Gazette reports:EU marine intercepts migrants off Crete AFP Saturday, June 11, 2011 05:18:27 PM ATHENS – An EU marine patrol on Saturday intercepted around 100 migrants near the Greek island of Crete as they attempted to sail from Egypt to Italy, the Greek coastguard said.
“A distress signal was initially sent to the Italian authorities in Rome,” a coastguard spokeswoman told AFP. “There was an initial search near Malta until an Icelandic patrol vessel from (EU border agency) Frontex found them near Crete,” she said. The sailboat was located some 85 nautical miles (100 miles) from the town of Paleohora in southern Crete. The migrants claim there are 95 people on board but the cause of the distress call was not immediately clear, and their nationalities are also unknown at this point, the spokeswoman said. “We know the group includes mostly men but that there are also women and children,” she added. “They are now in the process of transfering onto the Frontex vessel, and authorities have not yet decided where they will be taken for health tests,” the officer said. Local weather conditions are reported to be mild. Greece last year secured the assistance of Frontex to thwart an overwhelming surge of arrivals from Africa and Asia. Though not an EU member, Iceland is contributing to the EU patrol force. Frontex patrols have made a major impact on smuggling networks which until now had extensively taken advantage of Greece’s porous marine frontier.

DEMANDS OF IMMIGRANTS IN IGOUMENITSA

First and foremost we would like to thank those individuals and groups who are standing and are sympathetic to immigrants by understanding the problems that we have in our countries.

Secondly we would like to brief you that the immigrants in the mountain of Igoumenitsa have their worst political problems in their countries. As known to everybody, these countries suffer from dictatorial leaders, wars with the neighboring countries and some countries suffer from civil wars. Most of the immigrants are highly educated and were persecuted in their countries and left their countries in order to save their lives. But unfortunately the immigrants suffer from inhuman treatment from the security officers including the police, military and the security, the officers who are responsible of those issues are not paying tension to the issue. This type of treatment contradicts democracy and protection of human rights.

As are suit of these, we as immigrants set the following demands.

1. Security: we demand the removal the confinement of immigrant to the mountain. Because this has become a real obstacle to from practicing our daily activities.

2. Nutrition: Nutrition is a basic to human life and it is impossible to live without nutrition. We are not allowed to enter the town and buy food and other basic needs with our money. Some times happen that if the police catch us in the town with the things we buy, they throw goods in the waste box (skoupidia) and take us to the prison. We need solution for this matter.

3. Health: most of the immigrants tin this mountain suffer health problems that can not be ignored or postponed. Of course there are Doctors of the World under the bridge, but do not have health testing equipment and enough medicine. There are many immigrants whose legs and hands are broken by the military commandos. In this case we are not able to go to the hospital and have medical check. Because, if the police catch us there, they imprison us with our sickness. Even there are people arrested with their hands and legs broken. We need solution for this.

4. Basic Solution: finally, we kindly request the political decision makers for the basic solution for our problems in Greece.

Greece: Frontex stops immigrants’ boat

Two Turkish smugglers and a group of 21 sans-papiers immigrants were detained on Crete on Tuesday after a vessel belonging to Frontex, intercepted their boat off the island of Kythira.

The migrants, of Afghani origin, are being held in the premises of the old City Hall of the port of Hania.

The boat the smugglers used had set sail from Turkey and had been destined for Italy.

A flotilla to stop deaths in the Mediterranean

Hundreds of thousands of people fled Libya since the crisis began in February 2011. As of June 14, according to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), one million refugees had left the country ; more than 500,000 heading off to Tunisia, more than 300,000 to Egypt and 70,000 to Niger.

Every day, refugees arrive in Tunisia to stay in already overpopulated camps [1]. The majority are nationals from Sub-Saharan African countries themselves in conflict like Somalia, Sudan, Eritrea or Ivory Coast, it is therefore impossible to repatriate them ; as time goes by, their living conditions are becoming more and more difficult, while the risk that the country hosting them may end up being destabilised as well, is still growing.

Nine Sans Papiers Killed in Road Crash

Nine sans papiers immigrants including two children died in a car accident in northeastern Greece Monday in which four others people were seriously injured.
Police said the car broke into two and was crushed after flipping over early Monday, possibly after the driver lost control of his vehicle on the motorway near the town of Komotini, not far from the Turkish border. No other car was involved in the accident.
The identity of the victims, or how they crossed the border from Turkey is not yet known.

8 immigrants charged for their protests after the death of a 27-year old immigrant

Last Friday (July 15) Goulam Bamper Khan, a 27-year old immigrant from Pakistan,  was found dead in the new detention center of Elliniko (close to Athens). He had asked for a doctor repeatedly, but the only thing the detention center authorities did was to notify an unskilled member of a NGO, who just prescribed some medicine. Hours after this so-called medical examination, Goulam Bamper Khan fainted. Other inmates asked for an ambulance, but this was considered “not necessary”. Finally Goulam Bamper Khan died. Immediately riots broke out, as 98 inmates started shouting and pushing their cells’ doors. Riot police entered the detention center, chose 8 immigrants and started beating them up “to give a lesson to the rest”.
On Monday July 18, these 8 immigrants were charged with arsoning, escape attempt, rebellion provoking, rioting and damaging the detention center…

Evros: construction of border fence has started

According to the newspaper “ΤΑ ΝΕΑ” the operations for the construction of the 12,5 km long border fence at the borders between Greece and Turkey at Evros river, near Nea Vissa village, have already started, by making 18 holes where poles will be placed. The poles will support the double wired steel  fence and the thermal surveillance cameras.
The fence will be consisted by double wire with a corridor between, where there will be police patrols (like the fence in southern Spain Ceuta and Melilla) and will be of 3m height. It is aimed that the fence will incorporate all the 23 border “pyramid towers” inside the river Evros so all of this part of the border will be controlled. According to the ministry of “Protection of citizen” the cost will not exceed 5 million euros.
Since the construction of the fence was announced half a year ago, sans papiers immigrants have sifted the crossing of river Evros from the area of the Nea Vissa village to the area near the town of Soufli.

The local authorities as also those of western Greece do not accept the creation of detention centers at their regions.

Last winter Corfu shipwreck sans papiers death toll: a 16-year-old afghan refugee testimony

source: http://w2eu.net/2011/07/20/dublin-deaths-between-kerkyragreece-and-bariitaly-15th-of-january-2011/#more-3027

Dublin-Deaths between Kerkyra/Greece and Bari/Italy

The following testimony of Amin Fedaii, a 16-year-old afghan refugee, is alarming. On January 15th 2011 more than 20 refugees (mainly from Afghanistan) died while trying to flee from Greece and to reach their relatives and friends in other European countries.

The asylum system in the crisis-ridden Mediterranean country has entirely collapsed. Refugees cannot find protection neither any income and often even no accommodation. Against this background deportations to Greece according the Dublin II-regulation have been stopped in many European Countries, but the affected persons got stuck in unbearable conditions in Athens or in the harbour-cities of Patras and Igoumenitsa. While EU-citizens can travel without any problems, refugees are trapped: a regular exit is refused, although they have – particularly if they come from war-zones like Afghanistan – good chances to receive a residence permit on humanitarian grounds in many EU-countries.

Amin survived and is now living in an accomodation for minor refugees in Hessen, Germany. But he had to experience the meaningless death of 20 persons by drowning, because firstly entry and afterwards their rescue has been refused: 20 more victims of a merciless european border regime, which obviously is calculating with the death of refugees.

Fascist attack in Athens

On Friday July 15 at dawn, a group of 30-40 fascists, armed with iron bars and knives attacked 4 immigrants outside an arabs’ café in the neighborhood of Neos Kosmos in Athens. The fascists had set up an ambush waiting for the immigrants to close the café and come outside in the street. The police did not arrest anyone from the fascist gang, but arrested the 4 immigrants – victims of attack! One immigrant was stabbed in the leg and the other three injured in the head. All 4 immigrants were taken to hospital. Two of them got arrested because they did not have papers.

See photos of the wounded immigrants here

The attack happened just days before a racist attack in Kalamata,where an abandoned house squatted by immigrants was burnt down.

Evros, August 30, 2011: creation of a memorial space for the refugees that died during the attempt to overcome Fortress Europe

John missing Jen

http://w2eu.net/2011/07/28/john-missing-jen/

John is missing Jen. Jen got lost when she tried to cross the border to Greece. Maybe she drowned in Evros, the river between Turkey and Greece. We will mourn Jen and all the refugees that died during the attempt to overcome Fortress Europe on the 30th of August 2011 in Evros.  We want to give back a piece of dignity, to those whose death disappeared – right here – into the senselessness of the European borders. And we will gather for giving back a piece of dignity to those who survived. We will create a memorial space.

Interview with John, Athens, 11.05.11.

25 Migrants Dead on Italy-Bound Boat

(ROME) — Twenty-five African migrants trying to reach Italy from Libya died in the hold of a rickety boat so packed with people that the migrants could not get out as they struggled to breathe, officials said Monday after the bodies were found below decks. Source:http://www.time.com

Hundreds of migrants fleeing unrest and conflict in Libya and across North Africa are believed to have died since the beginning of the year in desperate journeys across the Mediterranean. (See pictures of Lampedusa flooded by Tunisian migrants.)

The 50-foot boat was carrying 296 people, including women and children, said Coast Guard Capt. Antonio Morana.

Migrants clash with police in Italy

Hundreds of asylum-seekers clashed with riot police near an immigrant centre in the southern Italian city of Bari yesterday in a protest to demand refugee status that left dozens lightly injured.

Protesters hurled rocks and metal bars at police lines, set off fires and trashed the facility on the outskirts of Bari. Police responded with tear gas and live rounds fired into the air and 30 protesters were arrested.

The rioters blocked a main road and railway for several hours, disrupting regional train services and car traffic. A passing bus was also wrecked.

Local officials later intervened and persuaded the protesters to stand down after the authorities undertook to respond to their requests by next Wednesday.

The asylum-seekers returned to the facility, Italian news media reported.

Greek army is digging a second Evros!

In the photo you see the ditch that the Greek army is creating in Evros.
Greek army is digging the ditch right on the border of Turkey. The ditch’s official initial aim was to serve as an anti-tank project and it was supposed to extend 20 km along the Greek-Turkish Border.

According to newspaper “TA NEA” the ditch will be 120 km long, 7 meters deep and 30 meters wide and it will serve “as a natural barrier to illegal immigrants”.

43.41% decrease of sans-papiers entering Greece arrests during first half of 2011

According to data publicized by the Greek police on July 21 2011, the number of sans-papiers immigrants arrested during the first half of 2011 showed a significant decrease of 43.41% compared to the same period in 2010.
An increase of sans-papiers entries (+22.13%) took place in the Greek-Turkish land border. Arrests in the area of Alexandroupoli had an increase of 237,8%.
According to Greek police and port police, from January to June 2011 were arrested 8.154 Afghans, 5.583 Pakistanis, 4.978 Albanians, 2.126 Bangladeshis, 2.006 Algerians, 2.006 Moroccans, 1.002 Iraqis etc.
Arrests were largely decreased in the Aegean: Lesvos -92,52%, Samos -92,00%, Chios -52,85%, Dodekanisa -99,91%, Cyclades -78,62%, Crete -34,54%. In the rest of the country, number of arrests was decreased by 48,06%.

Lampedusa: survivor claims around 100 died on Libya refugee boat

One of the four Moroccan women assisted in Lampedusa, having been saved by the Italian Coastal Guard. 100 refugees fleeing the unrest in Libya died on the overcrowded boat Photo: EPA

Around 100 refugees fleeing the unrest in Libya died on an overcrowded boat that arrived on Thursday at the Italian island of Lampedusa, a survivor has claimed

Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk 

The female survivor said: “We were 300, but around 100, especially women, did not survive, and the men were forced to throw their bodies into the sea.” The Moroccan woman’s claim contradicted information provided earlier by Italian coast guard spokesman Vittorio Alessandro, who said 300 badly dehydrated refugees were rescued from the boat after it was discovered 90 nautical miles 104 miles south of Lampedusa.

Mediterranean: 1,931 dead immigrants in the first 7 months of 2011 – 1,674 of them (87%) in the Sicilian Channel

Death in the Mediterranean

According to Fortress Europe, 1,931 immigrants have lost their lives in the mediterranean sea during the first 7 months of 2011, and 1,674 of them (87%) died in the Sicilian Channel.

Since the beginning of the year, about 25,000 people have arrived in Italy from Tunisia and an equal number from Libya. According to official data (August 1, 2011) 1,674 immigrants lost their lives trying to reach Italy – of these 1,674 deaths only 188 drowned on the Tunisian route. On the Libyan route instead the number of deaths is 1,486. It is as if one out of 130 die on the Tunisian route, while one out of every 17 on the Libyan route. Eight times more.

New bill reduces the residence time required for sans-papiers migrants to apply for residence permits

August 23, 2011.  A new bill was voted today, according to which immigrants will be eligible for a temporary residence permit if they can prove they have lived in Greece – illegally – for at least 10 years, down from the current 12 years.

This reduction was agreed after the 300 immigrants’ hunger strike. The initial government’s promise though was to decrease the years from 12 to 8 years.

“The 10-year stipulation will not lead to the mass legalisation of immigrants,” interior minister Haris Kastanidis said.

The minister justified the government’s decision to reduce the minimum duration of residence. He said immigration legislation has changed drastically since 2001 and the current 12-year stipulation meant that migrants with a “genuine connection to Greece, who deserve the right to live and work legally in the country, were being denied residency”.

Turkish Presh: Frontex kills migrant at Evros

A migrant was killed as Frontex patrol opened fire to migrants crossing the greek-turkish border at Evros river, according to Turkish Press.

The newspaper says that the day before yesterday (prob. 24/8) a group of migrants were attempting to cross illegally from Evros in Greece in Ouzounkioprou of Edirne, as Frontex forces opened fire on them.

According Hurriyet, the migrants have used 5 inflatable boats to cross the river. From the gun shots one of the boats carrying 10 people sunk, and the migrants swam to the turkish shore. However, a migrant who was waiting to board on a boat at the Turkish side was hitted on his back.

The incident, according to the newspaper, was denounced to the soldiers of the Turkish border post, and when they reached the point of the incident they fount 47 migrants from Afghanistan, Bourma and Somalia and the dead migrant as well. The type of the bullet is used in MP 5 weapons.

Turkish source: http://www.sondakika.com/haber-frontex-timleri-turk-sinirina-ates-acti-2954543/

MSF: No medical care for immigrants in detention centers

Athens, August 29, 2011 – The situation for immigrants held in detention in Evros and Rodopi is once again crucial. For almost a month, there has been no medical care to immigrants and asylum seekers in detention, as teams of the Ministry of Health have stopped providing medical and psychosocial care. Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) decided to resume their medical activities in the region to meet the urgent needs of immigrants.

Giving back names and dignity to lost migrants

Fountain to remember death and missing at the border in Tichero (Northern Greece)

John lost his wife Jane and Tahera her husband Bashir in the Evros River. They represent hundreds of other migrants who drowned in the water, were killed by landmines or are still missing. Their dead bodies were treated disrespectfully: In 2010 we discovered a mass grave in Sidero where the corpses could not be identified. We returned to give back a piece of dignity to the death and also those who survived.

http://w2eu.net/2011/09/01/giving-back-names-and-dignity-to-lost-migrants/

Tichero, 30th of August 2011

We came together today, here on the road to Tichero.

We gathered in Tichero around this fountain for remembering the dead of the European border regime.

Dead immigrants in the Ionian Sea

At least four immigrants drowned in the Ionian Sea today, when an inflatable boat sailing about 80 nautical miles west of Kefalonia island, sunk on early Saturday morning.

Eleven immigrants survived. One of them, whose condition was critical, was picked up by a navy helicopter and the remaining ten were picked up by turkish ship «MEHMET DADAYLI 1». The same ship discovered the 4 corpses.

According to one of the survivors onboard the sunk boat there were 30 sans-papiers. If it is so, the number of dead might rise to 19.

Revolt in Fylakio detention center

On Saturday afternoon immigrants held in the detention center of Fylakio, Evros, set fire to mattresses.
Border police forced the inmates out of the building, where they were guarded by riot police units, while fire brigade that arrived from the city of Orestiada managed to put out the fire.
One immigrant was transferred by ambulance to the Medical Center of Orestiada.

Only recently the Doctors Without Borders (MSF) denounced that for almost a month, there has been no medical care to immigrants and asylum seekers in detention in Evros region.

Meanwhile, greek navy and coast police keep searching for survivors from early Saturday shipwreck near the island of Kefalonia. Unfortunately the number of dead will probably rise to 19.

Some news from No Border Camp Bulgaria

Report by No Borders North East

The No Border camp set-up began a week before the opening, with lots of preparation work like digging trenches for water supply, and building infrastructure.

One of the aims of the camp was raising the issue of the border locally, and supporting and extending local solidarity work.

Film screenings and discussions took place in local villages in the run up to the camp, where there were really interesting conversations with local people on the frontline of the border regime, who told stories of meeting people crossing the border in search of safety and security.

Phone-call from a detention center

from Infomobile

Yesterday we received a phone-call from relatives of Syrian refugees, who have been prisoners in Fylakio (Northern Greece) since a few days:

Today I talked with somebody who was released a few days ago from Fylakio prison about his experiences there. He didn’t want to talk about it first. He said he didn’t want me to feel sorry for something that happened to him, and make me suffer, me and my family. But I said to him: “Tell me the whole truth. The people have to know what happens in there!”

Racist attacks in Athens

According to KEERFA n Saturday September 10th an organized pogrom against Pakistani immigrants took place in Aspropyrgos, Athens. More than 25 immigrants were wounded – four of them were hospitalized.
Forty thugs with bats and other weapons gathered on late afternoon close to the suburban train station. From there they started the assaults. hey stopped a public bus, held it for 15 minutes and attacked 4 immigrants that were on it.
Then, they invaded at least ten houses and destroyed immigrants’ property. In some cases they even destroyed the roof. They broke furniture and stole systematically laptops, mobile phones and money.
Around 11pm, at the house of Sampir Hussein, the same fascist gang went to the extend of drawing guns. Two people that were at home were shot – the bullet passed close to the shoulder of one.

AND THE POLICE? Outside the Aspropyrgos Police Station the same gang broke the car of a Pakistani immigrant who went there to report the attack at his house by the same gang! Four or five cars of the gang had followed the immigrant up to the door of Aspropyrgos Police Station! The head of the local police said that police officers searched for the attackers, but did not find anyone!

The pogrom is an escalation of systematic fascist violence in Athens. Ten days ago, in the neighborhood of Aghioi Anargyroi, fascists stabbed an immigrant from Bangladesh and burned a mosque.

Greece: Racist attacks continue plaguing Athens

source: http://eagainst.com/articles/greece-racist-attacks-continue-plaguing-athens/

In the recent days repeated racist attacks take place in various neighbourhoods of Athens.

• Last night (September 16), 2 Afghan immigrants were attacked outside their home. When they saw a group of thugs approaching, scared they tried to run away but did not manage to escape. The gangs attacked them leaving one stabbed! The victim suffered two wounds, one next to the heart and another one just below. One person was arrested but the rest of the fascist gangs escaped and continued their attacks at St. Panteleimonas square beating up another Afghan. St Panteleimonas neighbourhood is one of the areas with large immigrant population in Athens and has become a point of reference for violent racist attacks. Immigrants are constantly experiencing verbal and physical abuses by the extreme far-right faction “Chrisi Avgi” (Golden Dawn)

• An organized illegal persecution, also, against Pakistani immigrants took place in Aspropyrgos (a working class area of Athens). More than twenty four were left wounded and transferred to Evangelismos hospital.

• On 15th of September, Kouvelou squat in Maroussi (northern suburb of Athens) was hit by arson in the middle of the night, at around 3 am on September 14th. The roof collapsed and four rooms destroyed.

• Last Saturday, 10th of September, in the same area, around 40 right wing thugs with bats and other weapons gathered on late afternoon close to the suburban train station. They stopped a public bus, held it for 15 minutes and attacked 4 immigrants that were on it. Then, they invaded at least ten houses and destroyed immigrants’ property.  Around 11pm, at the house of Sampir Hussein, the same fascist gang went to the extend of drawing guns. Two people that were at home were shot – the bullet passed close to the shoulder of one.Just outside the Aspropyrgos Police Station the same gang broke the car of a Pakistani immigrant who went there to report the attack at his house! The head of the local police said that the officers searched for the attackers, but did not find anyone!

• Moreover, last Sunday, September 11 attacks unleashed again in St. Panteleimon leaving ten Afghans wounded.

• On Thursday, September 8, a group of far-right thugs attacked Pakistani immigrants in the area around Village Park in Rendi. Around 16:30 they got on the bus 703, forced a group of Pakistani immigrants to get off the bus and beat them up.

• According to witnesses of residents and immigrants, similar attacks took place also throughout the month of August by fascist groups of 15-20 people leaving dozens of Pakistani immigrants wounded.

• In the area of Aghioi Anargyroi, ten days ago, they stabbed one immigrant from Bangladesh and attempted to set fire to a place of worship.

Revolt in Lampedusa: CIE in flames

CIE of Lampedusa set on fire by the Tunisians: “No deportations”

PALERMO
The elderly lock themselves in the house, the kids put a handkerchief to their mouth while the column of smoke blown by the mistral invades. Smell of plastic, scrap metal, burnt rubber. “A toxic cloud – dare someone – who knows how much crap we are breathing.” The sky turns from blue to gray, the airport closes, the police are unleashed to to look for hundreds of escaped Tunisians.

More sans-papiers drown in the Ionian sea

On Friday, September 23, a small boat that was trying to get to Italy carrying 65 Kurds and Afghans sans-papiers, broke 90 miles southwest of the island of Zakynthos. When port police reached the vessel only 32 immigrants were aboard. A helicopter participating in the rescue operation managed to save 30 immigrants that have fallen in the sea. Late in the afternoon, the same helicopter discovered the bodies of 3 sans-papiers who drowned at sea.

Two immigrants dead in Evros region

Two sans-papiers immigrants died a tragic death shortly after 23:00 Friday night (October 7, 2011) when a train moving on the Alexandroupolis – Dikaia railway line ran over them. The two immigrants were walking on the train rails.

Two Iranian immigrants dead and eight wounded during police chase

Two Iranian immigrants dead and eight wounded, was the result of a police chase that took place on Tuesday dawn at Egnatia highway.

According to Police Director A. Malelides, Komotini Police Department had information about nine sans-papiers immigrants and two smugglers riding on a car heading from the town of Komotini to the town of Kavala.

Police set up two roadblocks on the Egnatia highway. The car with the sans-papiers immigrants escaped the first police roadblock but shortly after the car overturned. One immigrant died instantly at the accident, while eight were injured. One of them died during transport to hospital. Four immigrants managed to escape to the forest but they were trapped and the assistance of the Fire Department was needed to rescue them.

More dead immigrants in Evros river

The bodies of two sans papiers migrants were washed ashore on Wednesday on the banks of the Evros river, northeastern Greece, on the Greek-Turkish borders. 

Announcement on Renewal of Asylum-Seekers’ Pink Cards

The “Aliens Directorate” of the Ministry of “Citizen Protection” has issued the following announcement:

“Asylum-seekers holding a pink card which has expired since June 2009 are requested to proceed to the authorities responsible for receiving and examining asylum claims in order to renew their pink cards, within a period of two (2) months, from 5 October 2011 to 5 December 2011 (inclusive). In case of failing to show up within this deadline the examination of their cases will be withdrawn”.

The announcement is also available in 11 more languages. Please visit:
http://www.unhcr.gr/ypati-armosteia-toy-oie-gia-toys-prosfyges/spotlight/artikel/633f34e2906a138ea1d29d9a7eba3375/ektakti-anakoinosi.html?L=0

24/10-3/11, 2011, Cyprus: Immigrants on Hunger Strike

On October 24, 52 immigrants held in the central prisons of Cyprus started a hunger strike. On November 1st, 15 more immigrants in the cells in Lakatameia began a hunger strike. A few weeks ago, in the same cells, a 28-year-old man from Georgia passed away. On November 3rd, the hunger strikers announced that they will end the hunger strike, as they managed to draw attention and the government promised to meet some of their demands.

Fire in Amygdaleza detention center: seven immigrants injured

On Sunday morning 7 immigrants were transferred to Attiko Hospital in Athens after the inmates of Amygdaleza detention center set fire on their beds and mattresses.

The immigrants were Palestinians, Algerians and Libyans, probably underage. Five of them were taken to hospital with respiratory problems and two with burns.
Source: http://www.tovima.gr/society/article/?aid=428847

Leaks about planned gigantic detention centers, racist attacks on the rise

According to  Eleutherotypia newspaper,  the “Ministry of Citizen Protection”, taking advantage of the new coalition government in Greece, where members of the far-right LAOS party participate, is planning to create two gigantic detention centers for immigrants in Athens. The two new detention centers “should be in the area of Attikovoiotia (close to Athens) with a capacity of about 5-6 thousand people, to offer real relief to the capital city”.
LAOS also demands the withdrawal of the citizenship bill, voted 1,5 years ago.

Meanwhile, racist attacks are on the rise again. Last Saturday, in Mylopotamos in Crete, 3 immigrants from Pakistan were beaten up in their own home and a car owned by another immigrant was set on fire.
In Athens, two Kurds from Iraq were beaten up by 15 policemen while held in custody, awaiting their trial. They were brought back to the prison, where a prison warden, realizing how badly they had been beaten up, ordered their transfer to the prison’s hospital.
(photo here)

Two more dead immigrants near Evros river

The bodies of two immigrants were discovered yesterday in Peplo area – one on the bank of the Evros river and the other in a rural area of Thymaria village near the town of Alexandroupolis.

Germany: Dublin II deportations to Greece suspended for another year

The German Ministry of Interior informed in a letter that deportations to Greece under the Dublin II Regulation will be suspended for another year. The letter states that despite initial changes in the treatment of asylum seekers in Greece the asylum system still does not comply with European standards.
The moratorium is valid until 12th of January 2013.

http://w2eu.net/2011/12/01/greece-dublin-ii-deportations-suspended/

Immigrants deported by EU-funded flight

A charter plane carrying 33 Pakistani and 43 Afghani nationals left Athens for Lahore and Kabul, police said on Wednesday (December 1, 2011), noting that deportation orders had been issued for the immigrants.

A similar deportation took place on November, 10, 2011 and another one on October 19, 2011. Since March 2011, when Greece deported some 73 Dominicans, expulsion flights are taking place on a monthly basis.

16-year-old sans-papiers killed in FRONTEX-aided police pursuit

A 16-year-old boy from Syria, trying to enter Greece from Turkey, lost his life in a police pursuit in the border region of  Evros on Thursday, December 1, 2011. The boy was found dead when the vehicle driven by a smuggler lost control and was overturned in the area of ​​Makri, Evros.
The incident happened when Greek border policemen and officials of FRONTEX tried to immobilize two vehicles carrying sans papiers immigrants, moving on Egnatia Odos towards the city of Komotini. The smugglers speeded up and managed to escape.
After a while there was a second attempt by the police to stop the vehicles, at the Makri junction.  One of the vehicles crashed, while the second managed to escape. In the vehicle, policemen found a 36-year-old smuggler, two injured immigrants and the dead 16-year-old boy from Syria.

50 immigrants on hunger strike

On Saturday, December 3, 2011, 50 immigrants held at the Alikarnassos Police department in Heraklion, Crete, started a hunger strike. They did this to protest against their imprisonment conditions: they are let to starve, with no medical care. They leave their prison cells only to go to the toilets. When they protested about these conditions in the past, they got beaten up by police officers. So their only solution was the hunger strike. Most of them are refugees from countries like Syria, where the repressive regimes force them to migrate seeking for a better life. The hunger strike ended on Friday, December 9.

More immigrants deported by EU-funded flights

A charter plane carrying 42 Pakistani and 41 Afghani nationals left Athens for Islamabad and Kabul on Thursday (December 15, 2011). The same day 24 Egyptians, 1 Sudanese, 1 Ukrainian and 1 Rumanian were deported by cargo planes and 7 Albanians were deported by police vans. All deportation were funded by EU.

A similar deportation took place on December 1, 2011, one more on November, 10, 2011 and another one on October 19, 2011. Since March 2011, when Greece deported some 73 Dominicans, expulsion flights are taking place on a monthly basis.

Witness to immigrant’s murder is beaten up by policemen

On Saturday December 3, 2011, a 33-year-old Kurd immigrant was beaten up by policemen of the Pyrgos Monofatsiou police department (Crete, Greece). Ahmed Salin has the “misfortune” to be the sole prosecution witness against the port police officers who in 2009 beaten to death Kurd immigrant Arivan Osman Aziz in Igoumenitsa.

Some news from Greece

On the morning of Friday December 23, a demonstration was held in the city of Patras. It was organized after a 16-year old Afghan was left severely injured during a police operation in an informal settlement set up by Afghan refugees in the near-by town of Rio.  The demonstration started from at the deserted building of Piraiki Patraiki, a former factory, used by Afghan refugees for shelter. About 400 people, mainly immigrants and people in solidarity participated in a demonstration that lasted 2,5 hours and went through various neighborhoods as well as through the center of Patras, all decorated for christmas.
The immigrants held up four banners, saying:
- What about our future and our destiny?
- We too are humans and we have the right to live
- Stop police brutality, we want to live with security, we need human rights (this banner was in both Greek and English)

Meanwhile:

•  One of the 300 hunger strikers (of the immigrants’ victorious hunger strike between January and March 2011)  was deported. The police claims that he had a Schengen warrant pending in Italy. Lawyers and solidarity groups tried to help, but could not prevent the deportation.

• On December 22 the corpse of a man, probably between 25 and 30 years old, was found near Peplos, in the Greco-Turkish border region of Evros. He died attempting to cross the border by swimming through the river Evros/ Maritza.

• For two months, since October 2011, a building in the center of Thessaloniki owned by the French Catholic Church, which had been deserted for almost a decade, was squatted  by over 40 homeless Greeks, immigrants and activists.  EPIVIOSI (=”Survival) was the first such experimental occupation in Greece: It was an open place with a general assembly, where anyone without shelter could fix themselves their own room and benefit from the construction workers’ collective in the squat, as well as enjoy common meals and language lessons. It was evicted, under pressure by the French State, on December 13th.

• On December 12, the general assembly of street vendors from Bangladesh, Pakistan, Senegal, Nigeria, Turkey and other countries entered Thessaloniki town hall during city’s council weekly meeting and addressed the mayor. One of them read out their text, demanding the city council end police attacks against street vendors and stating that they will not become scape goats for the crisis.

• On the 7th of December, one day after the anniversary of the murder of Alexandros Grigoropoulos by a cop in 2008 and the demos that were held all over Greece, a group of African street vendors on the central street of Patision in Athens, were attacked by municipal police. Such attacks are not uncommon, neither are the reactions. This time the street vendors fought back furiously, forcing municipal police to leave the spot and call riot police forces for help. The immigrants counterattacked again and managed to push away the riot police squadron. Shocked with what they saw, some right-wingers recorded the retreat of the riot police and uploaded it on youtube for all to enjoy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjxtswszm-M

Three more dead immigrants (including a child) in Evros

The dead bodies of a 59-year-old woman with her 12-year-old son were found yesterday near the village Ferres in Evros area. According to documents found on them, they were from Iran. Another dead body, of a 25-30 year-old man of African origin was found near the village Petrades.

On December 22 another dead immigrant was found near village Peplos.

Fence on Greek-Turkish border to be ready in five months

The contract to build a fence on Greece’s border with Turkey in Evros was signed on Thursday.

The 12.5-kilometer construction is being built to deter illegal immigration and trafficking but has prompted opposition from human rights groups.

Citizens’ Protection Minister Christos Papoutsis said that the signing of the deal proved the government was serious about moving ahead with the construction of the fence.

“This is the best answer to all those who argued that the project would never begin,” he said.

The fence is due to be completed within five months and will cost about 5 million euros.

Last year, more than 47,000 illegal immigrants were detained in Evros.

Source: ekathimerini.com , Thursday Jan 19, 2012

Albanians in Greece: Heading home again

Source: http://www.economist.com/node/21542818

IT IS lunchtime and children pour out of Sunday-school classes in Thessaloniki. Waiting parents seem agitated as they talk to Valbona Hystuna, a teacher. The adults speak Albanian; the children talk to each other in Greek. Many of the youngsters have no knowledge of Albania. But the crisis in Greece is forcing their families to return home.

The latest census by Albania’s statistical office found only 2.8m inhabitants in the country, several hundred thousand fewer than expected and 7.7% less than a decade ago. As many as 1.4m are believed to have emigrated in the past 20 years, over half of them to Greece. But jobless Albanians have begun to return. Many men worked in construction, which has ground to a halt in Greece.

There is much anecdotal evidence of Albanians going home, but few statistics. Edmond Haxhinasto, Albania’s foreign minister, says only a few have returned. Still, Ms Hystuna says that “a lot of people have left, a lot plan to leave and everyone is talking about it.” In the past many Albanians lived and worked in Greece illegally, but most of them now have residence permits. Yet those who lose their jobs may also lose their permits, forcing them either to return home or to stay illegally.

Albanians have mostly integrated well. Their children often speak better Greek than Albanian; many need language classes before going back to Albania. But, says Ms Hystuna, the Greeks can make life difficult. The anxious parents she spoke to told her that the authorities have, out of the blue, insisted that the Albanian papers their Greek-born children have are unacceptable, since they use the Albanian rather than the Greek name for Thessaloniki.

As with migrant numbers, remittances are hard to measure. But what figures there are point to a sharp decline. In 2007 migrants sent home an estimated €950m ($1.3 billion). In 2010 that figure shrank to €690m; for the first three quarters of 2011 it was €475m. In 2009 remittances were reckoned to make up 9% of Albania’s GDP. Yet the economy, unlike Greece’s, has not gone into recession: it is expected to have grown by 2.5% in 2011.

Many Albanians in Greece are transferring savings to banks at home, fearful of what might happen if Greece leaves the euro. Some Greek companies have also begun to set up firms in Albania run by trusted Albanians who worked for them in Greece. So far, the effects of being a tiny economy largely dependent on recession-hit Greece and Italy have been negative but not disastrous. Yet as more Albanians move back, they will find jobs (and decent wages) scarce at home.

Another deportation of 43 migrants from Athens airport

On January 10, 2012 there was another deportation flight. The deported immigrants were:

36 from Afghanistan
4 from Iraq
2 from Tunisia
1 from Pakistan

Another deportation of 29 migrants from Athens airport today

23 from Bangladesh
1 from Egypt
4 from Pakistan
1 from Uganda

http://infomobile.w2eu.net/2012/01/05/another-deportation-of-29-migrants-from-athens-airport-today/