Deportations to Greece to be stopped in more and more countries after the European Court of Human Rights decided against a deportation

http://w2eu.info/dublin2.en/articles/dublin2.echr.en.html

The European Court of Human Rights decided in one single case on Friday, 21st of January 2011, that Greece is violating the human rights of a refugee by detaining him under inhuman conditions and leaving him homeless. It also judged that Belgium violated human rights by deporting him there (see: http://w2eu.net/2011/01/22/front-kick-dublin-2/)

This means:

• Hundreds of other “Greek” cases waiting for a decision in front of ECHR are expected to be judged in the same way.

• All countries that already decided to suspend deportations to Greece because of the pending decisions in front of the ECHR, will have to decide if they will examine the asylum cases of the people threatened by deportation to Greece themselves soon.

• European countries that did not already stop deportations to Greece will have to decide about it soon.

• This decision will concern people who have been fingerprinted and pink card holders without difference.

It was the struggles of the migrants and their supporters, leading to this decision: many refugees had been resisting and starting again and again to travel after being deported, the violation of their rights in Greece have been made public since a long time and many appealed with the help of lawyers and NGOs against being deported.

If you are travelling right now: check carefully the information! In general this judgement by ECHR was very radical and we expect asylum seekers leaving Greece can apply safely everywhere and will not be deported. The only point is to find out, if the country is engagement to process with the claims right now. The situation will change rapidly within the next days and weeks. We will try to keep the webguide updated.

 

Overview about European countries who already stopped (updated 24/01/2011):

• Belgium: Will handle all asylum claims of Greek “Dublin-cases” with priority treatment. After ECHR decided, the Belgian minister repeated the terms of the suspension and priority treatment announced in October.

• Denmark: The minister of integration in Denmark has just decided to open up the 340 cases of asylum seekers with finger prints in Greece.

• Germany: Stopped deportations to Greece and will examine all cases (pending and new ones) until January 2012.

• Finland: Obviously stopped deportations to Greece right now. More information will follow.

• Island: Stopped deporting to Greece – more information soon.

• Netherlands: Early October 2010 the Dutch minister of justice announced that the Netherlands will definitely not send asylum seekers back to Greece.

• Norway: The Immigration Appeals Board (UNE) has stopped deportations to Greece until further notice in October 2010.

• Sweden: A ruling by the Migration Court of Appeal (MCA) stopped all deportations of asylum-seekers from Sweden to Greece beginning of December 2010.

• UK: The UK Border Agency suspended returns of asylum seekers to Greece under the Dublin II Regulation in the end of September 2010. All “Greek” cases are handled in UK.

 

Many people try to figure out now, where their chances to get a positive result of their asylum claim are best. To answer this question is very difficult, because it depends a lot on the single case and if they believe you are telling the truth or not. On http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat you can find some statistics that might help you (search: Asylum) – but don’t take it too serious. The procedures are quickly changing. Check out the asylum-topic on this site, contact some of the named contacts in the country after your arrival and try to prepare your individual case.