8 ENTER AT YOUR PERIL
Lives put at risk at the gate of europe
© Amnesty International
CONCLUsION
Greece, at the external frontier of the EU,
has had to manage the large flow of
migrants and refugees, most of whom wish
to go further west to other EU countries
rather than stay in Greece. This
responsibility is particularly difficult for
Greece as the EU member state most
affected by the economic crisis.
TAkE ACTION
These are difficult times in Greece, and for
n
millions across Europe. But there can be
Aegean or apprehended at the land border
Ensure that all those intercepted in the
no excuse for what is happening on the
with Turkey have access to individualized
EU’s south-eastern borders. Add your voice
procedures to seek international protection
to those calling for migration and asylum
and to effective means of challenging any
policies that respect human rights and
deportation decision.
human dignity.
The EU and its Member States should
support the Greek government in ensuring
the rights of all migrants and refugees
regardless of their legal status and find new
ways to share responsibility with Greece for
managing migration flows. EU policy should
shift its emphasis from sealing off the EU’s
external borders to enhancing reception
capacity and reception conditions for asylumseekers, refugees and other vulnerable
migrants. It should also enhance capacity for
the identification of those in need of
international protection at Greece’s borders.
n
End the indiscriminate and prolonged
Call on the Greek minister of Public Order and
detention of irregular migrants and asylum-
Citizen Protection to:
seekers; and use alternatives to detention.
n
Immediately halt the unlawful push-
back of migrants and refugees on Greece’s
Join our campaign. Visit our website
(www.whenyoudontexist.eu) to take action.
borders with Turkey, investigate allegations
of indiscriminate expulsions and illtreatment, and prosecute those involved.
above: A boat arrives at the European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium, April 2013. Activists
delivered over 70,000 signatures to ask the Parliament to protect the rights of migrants, asylumseekers and refugees at Europe's borders.
Amnesty International is a global movement of more than 3 million
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territories who campaign to end grave abuses of human rights.
index: eur 25/007/2013
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July 2013
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