JOINT STATEMENT AGAINST the eviction order of people on the move from camps

hrlpsteeringcommit
1 minute ago
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Together with 34 Civil Society organizations, HRLP signed a joint statement calling on the Greek Ministry of Migration and Asylum to rescind the eviction order of people on the move from camps.

In early May, Greek media reported that the Ministry of Migration and Asylum issued a verbal directive to the authorities of refugee camps across Greece to evict beneficiaries of International Protection as well as rejected asylum seekers from their facilities. No guidance on alternative accommodation solutions was provided.

Outside of state facilities, options for support and alternative accommodation are limited. Previously filling critical gaps in state support, NGOs - including those providing accommodation - now face structural funding and capacity cuts, while the strict eligibility requirements of municipal shelters mean they remain inaccessible for people on the move.

As a result, camp evictions risk placing many into states of homelessness and destitution, and carry the associated risk of exposure to retraumatisation, exploitation, human trafficking and police violence. The Ministry's directive consequently risks threatening the protection of individuals’ safety and security, and of their fundamental rights, including human dignity.

The undersigned organisations call on the Ministry of Migration and Asylum:

To rescind the eviction order of people on the move from camps;

To ensure that if people are removed, this happens only where they have secured a safe and appropriate housing alternative that guarantees they will not end up destitute and homeless and enables them to access their rights in a manner that respects their human dignity;

To implement a sustainable and dignified framework of support and integration that ensures appropriate accommodation for people on the move, whatever their legal status, during, and after their stay in temporary reception facilities.