Issue No.
13344
Police sweep operations in Athens target undocumented migrants
RULING NEW Democracy’s immigration crackdown came under heavy fire in parliament as opposition MPs criticised the governing party’s plans to have police hunt down and lock up tens of thousands of undocumented migrants for up to a year, or until they are deported.
Despite the controversy, ND passed the get-tough law on June 24, with support from far-right Laos.
The law is the latest effort by Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis’ conservative government to combat illegal immigration.
Under the previous law, undocumented migrants could only be detained for up to three months. Those who were not deported were released and handed written orders to leave the country - on their own - within 30 days, which they seldom did.
The new rules reflect the fierce restrictionist sentiment that now frames the political debate over immigration in Greece.
Some 32,000 undocumented migrants have been arrested so far this year. More than 140,000 arrests were made last year.
While opposition MPs criticised the proposed legislation, saying it will create more problems than it will solve, Alternate Interior Minister Christos Markoyannakis countered that it is the current system that is problematic.
Markoyannakis, who is responsible for public order, also blamed the European Union’s 2003 Dublin II Regulation for much of the country’s immigration woes. Greece has repeatedly called for its revision.
The Dublin II Regulation says that the first EU country where an asylum seeker arrives is responsible for processing the asylum application. It is aimed at putting an end to so-called asylum shopping, whereby an undocumented migrant applies for asylum in several countries. But border countries like Greece say it places an excessive burden on them because they have to deal with much higher numbers of asylum seekers.
“Beginning in 2003, when Greece signed the Dublin II Regulation… the problem started getting more intense and bigger,” Markoyannakis told parliament on June 23. “Why? Because our country went from being a transit country to a final destination.
“All those [migrants] who illegally entered the country from Turkey in hopes of crossing through Greece [to make their way further into the EU] could no longer leave. So, you can understand what the situation is like in our country… And, it is likely to become even more intense in the future if we do not implement these measures.”
The government is under mounting public pressure to show it is taking a strong stand against the reported rise in illegal immigration.
Public concern has fed the growth of Laos - the only party able to increase the number of ballots it garnered in the recent European Parliament elections.
The push against illegal immigration is seen as a first effort on the part of the government in search of greater public support and inter-party solidarity.
Markoyannakis on June 23 chaired the first meeting of a new cross-party committee formed to discuss the new immigration measures. All mainstream political parties sent representatives except for the Greek Communist Party (KKE), which openly refused to take part in what it described as an exercise in futility.
New measures
Detention and deportation
THE NEW law allows Greece to detain undocumented migrants for six to 12 months while they await deportation. Under the current law, an undocumented migrant must be released from police custody after three months.
According to the government, the three-month detention limit is one reason why the bilateral repatriation agreement with Turkey is not working. Turkey usually takes more than three months to review applications for the return of undocumented migrants who crossed into Greece from its territory.
Human smuggling
The new law introduces tougher sentences and higher fines for aiding or abetting a person’s illegal entry into a country. Those convicted of human smuggling would face 10 years in prison (currently up to two years) and a fine of up to 60,000 euros. If that person put the life of migrants at risk, he or she would face up to 15 years in prison and a fine of up to 200,000 euros. In the case of a death, the new law stipulates life imprisonment and a fine of up to 700,000 euros.
EU rules
PRIME Minister Kostas Karamanlis on June 22 briefed President Karolos Papoulias on the decisions taken by European Union leaders meeting in Brussels over the weekend.
Karamanlis stressed he initiated the discussion on illegal immigration at the summit.
“The major issue of illegal migration has now been upgraded to a major EU and European issue,” the prime minister said.
EU leaders decided to beef up checks along Europe’s external borders. They also agreed, at least in principle, on the equal distribution of the immigration burden.
The EU will also pursue readmission agreements with countries such as Turkey. Greece and Turkey signed a bilateral readmission agreement in 2001.
(ANA, Athens News)
Key players
GREEKS are deeply divided about how to deal with illegal immigration. The political debate has been no less divisive. Some of the key players:
“We demand social, civil and democratic rights for immigrants… We want the legalisation of all those [undocumented migrants] who live in the country, an end to the bureaucracy - and immigrants from countries that are embroiled in civil war or under occupation to be granted political asylum more easily, if they want it,” Aleka Papariga, Greek Communist Party (KKE) general secretary, speaking to reporters on June 24
“It is now exactly 12.20pm. At 12 noon our MP Theodoros Dritsas went to attend the dialogue launched by Alternate Interior Minister Mr Marko-yannakis in order to be briefed and to discuss immigration policy. And I ask you: Is this a farce? You call us to discuss the measures and at the same time the majority government, with the help of Laos, is getting ready to vote on these measures… That is why I am calling you to put these measures on hold. Don’t bring them for a vote,” Alekos Alavanos, Left Coalition SYRIZA parliamentary spokesman, speaking to parliament on June 23
“Under the first clause of this amendment, each and every immigrant - legal immigrants included - becomes a potential threat to public order. Even legal immigrants in our country, if they are convicted of a crime, even reckless driving, may find themselves without any protection and at risk of immediate deportation. As for the other articles [in the law]… they are without any logic. Make no mistake, the illegal immigration problem in Greece was created by our country’s inability to successfully negotiate at the EU level,” Pasok MP Evangelos Venizelos, speaking to parliament on June 23
But let’s not be stupid because a lot of what is being said is stupid. And I will give you just one example. I’ve heard human rights groups talk about good immigrants and talk about them with empathy. But I haven’t heard anything about the Greeks. I only hear about the immigrants, the economic migrants, the poor illegal immigrants and about us bad Greeks. And I ask: Who’s thinking about the resident of Agios Panteleimonas or Thessaloniki who is afraid to go outside. Mr Minister, for us in Ekali, the illegal immigrants are all good. The human rights advocates should go live in Agios Panteleimonas,” Laos MP Kyriakos Velopoulos, speaking to parliament on June 23
ATHENS NEWS 30/08/2010, page: 13
