Flight deportation from Athens

A group of 61 undocumented migrants from Pakistan and Afghanistan boarded a charter flight bound for Islamabad and Kabul on October 19.

This was the fifth expulsion flight to take off since March when Greece deported some 73 Dominicans. They were accompanied by 139 police officers and two doctors. European Union regulation requires two police officers to escort each immigrant on a flight.

So far this year, a total 335 undocumented migrants have been flown back to their country of origin.

The number of undocumented migrants in Greece is at a record 470,000 – a 60-percent increase compared to 2008 – according to the Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy (Eliamep).

http://www.athensnews.gr/portal/9/49270

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 In case of failing to show up within this deadline the examination of their cases will be withdrawn”.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

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. 

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.

36,000 sans-papiers immigrants arrested in Evros this year

Source: http://www.ekathimerini.com

Some 36,000 “illegal immigrants” have been caught crossing into Greece via its land border with Turkey, according to figures made public on Friday, October 7.

This compares to a total of just over 47,000 arrests during the whole of last year.

Greece is in the process of building a 12.5-kilometer fence in Evros, which is one of the main points of entry for “illegal migrants”.

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.