5 2. Evros in the context of Greek and European Migration Policy (2010-2011) »But we need the whole package – the reform of the asylum system and the fence, the detention and first reception centres. A clear message for the international community and especially for the countries of origin of these people, that Greece is not a transit place on their way to Europe and cannot become the Promised Land for those who want to leave their countries and come to Europe.« Mr Christos Papoutsis, Minister of Citizen Protection May 18, 2011, press conference6 ■ Greece, situated on the crossroads between Asia and Europe, covers a large part of Europe’s external borders. Since the decrease of migration flows through southern borders in Spain and Italy from 2008 onward, it receives a great part of migration into the European Union by people seeking protection and a dignified life. Particularly the Evros region, has become the main hub of migration into Europe since 2010 with a daily number of 250-300 arrivals the majority of which were arriving in the North.7 At the same time more and more migrants are stuck in limbo all over Greece but mainly in Athens without any support or perspectives for the future. »When I see other refugees in detention centres, I feel we have something in common. They are confined in small cells, I am imprisoned in a big one called Greece,« says I. ••a young Afghan man who lives in Greece. Over the past few months, and also in previous years, Greece has been thoroughly observed, criticized and con- 6 http://www.minocp.gov.gr/index.php?option=ozo_content &perform=view&id=3660&Itemid=499&lang 7 UNHCR Greece 2011: The situation of refugees in Greece (June 16, 2011); Statistics of the Greek police concerning immigration 2011: http://www.astynomia.gr/index.php?option=ozo_content& perform=view&id=5071&Itemid=429&lang= 8 The Dublin II regulation was adopted in 2003 and has been ratified by 30 European countries. It is the European Union law that determines the EU Member States responsible to examine an application for asylum seekers seeking international protection and provides for the transfer of an asylum seeker to that Member State. Usually, the responsible Member State will be the state through which the asylum seeker first entered the EU. It is the corner stone of the Dublin System, comprised of the Dublin Regulation and the EURODAC Regulation, which establishes a Europe-wide fingerprinting database for «unauthorized» entrants to the EU and leads to thousands of inner-European deportations each year. demned, by the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT), by the United Nations Committee Against Torture (UNCAT), the Fundamental Rights Agency of the European Union (FRA) and by international NGOs (such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch). With the ruling of the European Human Rights Court in several cases against Greece and particularly MSS v. Belgium and Greece, many European member states had to accept that the situation in Greece has deteriorated to such an extent that transferring migrants to Greece could violate their human rights and, thus, that transfers to Greece under Dublin II Regulation8 were suspended by almost all European Member States until further evidence.9 Greece is not considered a »safe country« for refugees anymore and the idea of common asylum standards in Europe – a fundamental basis of the Dublin Regulation – is revealed to be non-existent. Nevertheless the obligation of all European states for the protection of people in need and respect of human rights still exists. 2.1 The Greek asylum reform: Where are the improvements? In autumn 2010, Greece submitted its National Action Plan for Migration Management to the European Commission in an effort to respond to many years of international criticism on its overall dysfunctional migration and asylum policy.10 9 National courts in all over Europe and the European Court of Human Rights have stopped in several cases deportations to Greece in 2010: UK (September 17, 2010), Netherlands (October 6, 2010), Belgium (October 10, 2010) and Norway (October 12, 2010). In Denmark more than 200 deportations to Greece were stopped since the summer of 2010. The decision of the European court is still pending and it announced it would stop any other deportations until the case is not closed. Concerns were raised also about Italy, Malta and Hungary. A number of national court decisions halted deportations to these countries. 10 On August 25, 2010 Greece submitted its National Action Plan for Migration Management to the European Commission. The Action Plan set out the complete strategy of the Greek government for managing migration, encompassing the screening of irregular migrants, the new asylum system, detention, repatriation and returns. The strategy included initiatives affecting vulnerable groups, which have been developed in partnership with the Ministry of Health.