April 23, 2018

A blow to the Rule of Law: new decision issued by the Director of the Asylum Service just three days following the Council of State (CoS) ruling

April, 17 2018:

The CoS accepts the application made by the Greek Council for Refugees (GCR) and annuls the decision issued by the former Director of the Asylum Service, with which asylum seekers where subjected to a geographical limitation of their movement on the Eastern Aegean islands.

April, 18 2018:

The Minister of Migration Policy appoints the new Director of the Asylum Service.

April, 19 2018:

The Minister of Migration Policy submits a draft law to the Parliament, which, inter alia, attempts to justify the imposition of geographical restriction, without taking into consideration the CoS ruling and the ordinances of International and EU Law.

April, 20 2018:

The Director of the Asylum Service reinstates the previously annulled, by the CoS, decision of his predecessor. 

The timeline of violations leaves no room for doubt. The Government, following the European Commission’s expressed concern on the CoS ruling, rushed to reinstate the annulled decision. The policy of confining refugees on the Greek islands will keep subjecting refugees to suffering and local communities to tensions, such as those experienced just yesterday at the Sapfo square, in Mytilini (Lesvos), where far right extremists attacked a group of protesting refugees.

The GCR, recalling the principle of the separation of powers, calls authorities to urgently reconsider their stance and declares that it will be pursuing all legal procedures to protect the rights of refugees and assist in reducing the ongoing phenomena of violence which the chosen policy incites.

For more information on the digital campaign, please contact:

Danai Leivada

Communications Officer

Greek Council for Refugees

Solomou 25 Str, 10682, Athens        

Tel: +30 210-3800990

Ε-mail: d.leivada@gcr.gr