Greek Council for Refugees files a challenge before the Council of State against the Greek legislative framework

Athens, 19 November 2009

On 16 November the Greek Council for Refugees filed a challenge before the Council of State

against Presidential Decree 81/2009 (Amendment of P.D. 90/2008 regarding the minimum standards on procedures in member states for granting and withdrawing refugee status).

The Greek Council for Refugees is firm in its position that this Presidential Decree must be repealed and the asylum system must be radically reformed, for a number of reasons concerning both the protection of asylum as an institution as well as the rights of refugees and asylum seekers and the discrepancy between the Greek legislative framework and directives of the EU.

The radical reformation of the asylum procedure and the cancellation of the specific legislative framework were pre-election commitments of the new government . Concern regarding Greece’s handling of Asylum has also been expressed by UNHCR, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, ECRE, Amnesty International, as well as most human rights advocates in Europe and Greece.  It should be noted that the European Commission has commenced infringement proceedings, which may result in the referral of Greece to the European Court of Justice for breach of the relevant directives.

“I hope that this case will not need to be heard in court and that the state will immediately change the law”, stated the President of GCR Angeliki Argyropoulou-Chrysohoidou.  “Until that time, however, it was our duty to file this challenge in order to protect people who are in a position where they are effectively punished again, this time not by the dictatorships and wars which drive them from their countries, but by the country from which they seek protection. Our efforts to change the legislative framework will continue.”   

For more information: Mr. Spyros Koulocheris, ++30 210 3320078