More than 150 NGOs call for refugees’ rights to be protected

Athens, 6 March 2020 – The undersigned organisations are deeply concerned about recent developments at the Evros border and the Aegean islands where people are stranded at the borders of Europe, instrumentalised for political purposes, and subject to violations of their rights. We are also deeply concerned about the way the authorities of Greece and the European Union are handling new arrivals. Equally alarming are the extreme actions by security forces against refugees and by civilians against staff of human rights and humanitarian organisations. We would also like to point out that the climate of panic and rhetoric of 'asymmetric threat' –also promoted by the authorities– does not reflect reality and seriously affects not only vulnerable refugees- but also our society and the rule of law as a whole. 

Specifically:
We firmly express our opposition to the recent decisions of the Greek Governmental Council on Foreign Affairs and Defense (KYSEA), and in particular the adoption of the Emergency Legislative Decree, which stipulates the suspension of the right to seek asylum for all people entering the country and their return without registration, to their countries of origin or transit. Applying such a regulatory provision is inhumane and illegal as it violates the fundamental principle of non-refoulement, incurs international responsibilities for Greece and endangers human lives. It is beyond dispute that Greece has the sovereign competence to control its borders and to manage any crossings there. Nevertheless, the right to seek asylum is a fundamental human right enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. 

We also denounce the attacks on organisations that defend human rights and humanitarian organisations, noting that without the support of these organisations, the refugee management system in Greece would collapse. In addition, solidarity has been stigmatised and become the target of suspicion, which has been also exacerbated by members of the Government, fomenting violence and lawlessness in society in general. We denounce any statements, actions or policies that foment or tolerate bigotry. 

We call upon the Greek Government to:

• Withdraw the illegal and unconstitutional Emergency Legislative Decree and to respect the obligations of the Greek State concerning the protection of human life and rescue at sea and at the land borders.

• Immediately stop returning people to states where their lives and freedom are at risk, or where they are at risk of being subjected to torture or other inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. 

• Immediately alleviate overcrowding on the islands by relocating asylum seekers to the mainland, protecting their well-being and health. Priority should be given to the most vulnerable, unaccompanied minors and families with children.

• Take the necessary measures to protect every person from acts of violence, victimisation and racism.

We recall that the EU should assume substantial responsibilities for the protection of people on the move in a manner that demonstrates respect for human dignity and lawfulness and as a matter of shared responsibility among EU member states in the context of managing what is, first and foremost, a European issue. The right to asylum and the respect for the principle of non-refoulement are fundamental elements of international and EU law and therefore the authorities of the European Union must take the necessary measures for their protection.

Therefore:

• The European Commission, as the guardian of the Treaties, should protect the right to asylum as enshrined in EU law. Therefore, it should reverse the “aspida (shield)” rhetoric used by Greece and urge it to assume its legal obligations.

• EU Member States should re-establish immediately the mechanisms for the relocation of refugees and asylum seekers from Greece to other Member States, in a fair and rational manner, with priority given to unaccompanied children. EU Member States should increase resettlement of refugees directly from Turkey.

• EU Member States and institutions should revise the EU-Turkey Statement, which –in addition to legal lacunae– has now proven to be an unpredictable and unsustainable political tool for border management.

In closing, we call on all sides to respect the law and safeguard European democratic values. Any further backsliding will have major consequences on European societies, European democracy and the rule of law.

List of Signatories 

A Buon Diritto (Italy)
Act Alliance EU (Belgium)
ACCIÓN POLITEIA (Spain)
ACTIONAID HELLAS 
ACTIONAID INTERNATIONAL
ACTIONAID ITALIA 
ADDART (Greece)
AED EUROPEAN DEMOCRATIC LAWYERS (Germany)
AIDOS - ASSOCIAZIONE ITALIANA DONNE PER LO SVILUPPO 
ΑΙΤΙΜΑ (Greece)
ALLIANCE FOR AFRICAN ASSISTANCE (Italy)
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
ANASA CULTURAL CENTER (Greece)
ANTIGONE (Greece)
AOI, ASSOCIATION OF ITALIAN NGO'S FOR COOPERATION AND SOLIDARITY 
ARSIS – ASSOCIATION FOR THE SUPPORT OF YOUTH (Greece)
ASGI ASSOCIAZIONE PER GLI STUDI GIURIDICI SULL'IMMIGRAZIONE
ASINITAS, ROMA (INTERCULTURAL CENTERS) (Italy)
ASSOCIATION DE SOUTIEN AUX TRAVAILLEURS IMMIGRES - ASTI ASBL (Luxembourg)
ASSOCIATION FOR INTEGRATION AND MIGRATION (Czech Republic)  
ASSOCIATION FOR LEGAL INTERVENTION (Poland)  
ASOCIACIÓN POR TI MUJER (Spain)  
ASviS (Italian Alliance for Sustainable Development)
BABEL DAY CENTER (Greece)
BAOBAB EXPERIENCE (Italy)
BORDER CRIMINOLOGIES-OXFORD UNIVERSITY (UK)
BORDERLINE-EUROPE HUMAN RIGHTS WITHOUT BORDERS (Germany)
CARE Deutschland e.V. 
CARITAS HELLAS
Center for Economic Prosperity and Freedom (CEPS) (Montenegro)
CCM – Comitato Collaborazione Medica (Italy)
CENTRE DIOTIMA (Greece)
Centre for Peace Studies (Centar za mirovne studije) (Croatia)
CENTRE FOR TRAUMA, ASYLUM AND REFUGEES, UNIVERSITY OF ESSEX (UK)
CESIE (Italy)
CHANGE MAKERS LAB (Greece)
CHILD AND YOUTH CARE ASSOCIATION (SMAN) (Greece)
CIRÉ (COORDINATION ET INITIATIVES POUR REFUGIES ET ÉTRANGERS) (Belgium)
Comhlámh (Ireland) 
CONCORD Italia
Coordinadora de Organizaciones para el Desarollo (Spain)
COSPE ONLUS (Italy)
Czechia Against Poverty and Inequality 
DANISH REFUGEE COUNCIL (DRC)
DEFENCE FOR CHILDREN INTERNATIONAL GREECE
DUTCH COUNCIL FOR REFUGEES (DCR)
DUTCH LEAGUE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS (Netherlands)
ECOLOGICAL MOVEMENT OF THESSALONIKI (Greece)
ECHO100PLUS (Greece)
EDUCATIONAL INNOVATION (Greece) 
ELIX (Greece)
ELPIDA HOME
END FGM EUROPEAN NETWORK
EPAPSY (Greece)
EQUAL RIGHTS BEYOND BORDERS (Greece)
EQUAL SOCIETY (Greece)
EUROPEAN ANTIPOVERTY NETWORK (EAPN)
EUROPEAN COUNCIL ON REFUGEES AND EXILES (ECRE)
Federazione degli Organismi Christiani Servizio Internationale Volontario (Italy)
FIX IN ART (Greece)
FORENSIC ARCHITECTURE (Greece)
FUNDACION CEPAIM (Spain)
GAASBEEK EN GAASBEEK ADVOCATEN (Netherlands)
GCAP Europe (Belgium)
GCAP Hellas
GCAP Italia 
GENERATION 2.0 RED (Greece)
German NGO Forum on Environment and Development
GHENT UNIVERSITY – CESSMIR (Belgium)
Glocal Roots (Switzerland)
GREEK COUNCIL FOR REFUGEES (GCR)
GREEK FORUM OF MIGRANTS
GREEK FORUM OF REFUGEES
GREEK NETWORK FOR THE RIGHT TO SHELTER AND HOUSING
HELLENIC ANTIPOVERTY NETWORK
HELLENIC LEAGUE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS (HLHR)
HELLENIC PLATFORM FOR DEVELOPMENT
HELP REFUGEES / CHOOSE LOVE
ΗΙΑS GREECE
HIGGS (Greece)
HUMANRIGHTS360 (Greece)
HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH
IMMIGRANT COUNCIL OF IRELAND   
INITIATIVE FOR THE DETAINEES’ RIGHTS (Greece)
Intelektualet e rinj, Shprese (IRSH) (Albania)
INTER ALIA (Greece)
International Planned Parenthood Federation – European Network (IPPF EN) (Belgium)
INTERNATIONAL RESCUE COMMMITTEE (IRC)
INTERSOS HELLAS 
INTERSOS ORGANIZZAZIONE UMANITARIA ONLUS (Italy)
InterVolve (Greece)
Irida Women’ s Center (Greece)
IRISH ANTIPOVERTY NETWORK
ITALIAN COUNCIL FOR REFUGEES
JRS PORTUGAL
LEGAL CENTRE LESVOS (Greece)
LEROS SOLIDARITY NETWORK (Greece)
LESVOS SOLIDARITY (Greece)
MED.IN MEDICAL INTERVENTION (Greece)
MEDECINS DU MONDE – GREECE (MDM - GREECE)
MEDECINS SANS FRONTIERES – GREECE (MSF – GREECE)
MELISSA NETWORK (Greece)
ΜΕΤΑDRASI (Greece)
METHORIA LAST RIGHTS (Greece)
NETWORK FOR CHILDREN’S RIGHTS (Greece)
Network Italiano Salute Globale 
ODYSSEA (Greece)
OMANIAE VZW ORGANISATIE (Belgium)
OMNES (Greece)
ORGANIZATION EARTH (Greece)
OXFAM
PAR – Platforma de Apoio aos Refugiados (Portugal) 
PAX CHRISTI INTERNATIONAL (Belgium)  
PHYSICIANS FOR SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY (Finland)
PLATFORM FOR INTERNATIONAL CO-OPERATION ON UNDOCUMENTED MIGRANTS (PICUM)
Povord Institute (Slovenia) 
PRAKSIS (Greece)
RAV REPUBLICAN LAWYERS ASSOCIATION (Germany)
RED ACOGE (Spain)    
REFUGEE LEGAL SUPPORT (RLS) (Greece)
REFUGEE RIGHTS EUROPE (RRE)
REFUGEE SUPPORT AEGEAN (RSA) (Greece)
REFUGEE TRAUMA INITIATIVE (Greece)
SAFE PASSAGE INTERNATIONAL 
SAVE THE CHILDREN
SCHEDIA STIN POLI –ARTISTIC PEDAGOGIC YOUTH ORGANIZATION (Greece)
SERVICE CIVIL INTERNATIONAL-HELLAS
Slovene Philanthropy 
SOCIETY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT (SID)
Solidarity for all (Greece) 
SOLIDARITYNOW (Greece)
SOS RACISMO (Spain)
STATE OF CONCEPT (Greece)
STATEWATCH (UK)
STIL-UTRECHT (Netherlands)
Südwind (Austria)
SYMBIOSIS-SCHOOL OF POLITICAL STUDIES (Greece)
SYMBOLO - ROMA NORDOVEST PER LA SINISTRA (Italy)
SYNDICAT INTERPROFESSIONNEL DE TRAVAILLEUSES ET TRAVAILLEURS (SIT) (Switzerland)
TEXNODROMO (Greece)
TERRE DES HOMMES HELLAS
THALASSA OF SOLIDARITY (Greece)
The Balkan Forum (Kosovo)
THE DAY OF THE ENDANGERED LAWYER FOUNDATION (Netherlands)
THE HOME PROJECT (Greece)
THE INTERNATIONAL REFUGEE ASSISTANCE PROJECT (IRAP) (USA)
THE ROUTES OF THE OLIVE TREE (Greece)
THESSALONIKI PRIDE (Greece)
ΤHESS DICTIO – VOLUNTARY ORGANIZATIONS’ NETWORK OF THESSALONIKI (Greece)
TRANSGENDER SUPPORT ASSOCIATION (Greece)
VICTORIA SQUARE PROJECT (Greece)
VLUCHTELINGEN ONDERSTEUNING SINT-NIKLAAS (Belgium)
WORLD WITHOUT WARS AND VIOLENCE (Greece)