{"id":23037,"date":"2020-02-25T12:35:25","date_gmt":"2020-02-25T10:35:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.arsis.gr\/?p=23037"},"modified":"2020-02-25T12:35:25","modified_gmt":"2020-02-25T10:35:25","slug":"joined-open-letter-to-greek-prime-minister-for-the-protection-of-thousands-of-unaccompanied-refugee-children-in-greece","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/arsis.gr\/en\/joined-open-letter-to-greek-prime-minister-for-the-protection-of-thousands-of-unaccompanied-refugee-children-in-greece\/","title":{"rendered":"Joined open letter to Greek Prime Minister for the protection of thousands of unaccompanied refugee children in Greece"},"content":{"rendered":"

To:
The Prime Minister of the Hellenic Republic Mr. Kyriakos Mitsotakis <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dear Prime Minister, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The organizations signing this letter have been engaged for many years in\nthe field of human rights and humanitarian aid and are looking to you in the\nhope that you will intercede to resolve a very serious issue. This pertains to\nthe protection of thousands of unaccompanied children, who, due to a lack of suitable\nand sufficient shelters, as well as a comprehensive guardianship scheme and a\nsystem of child protection, remain in unsuitable accommodation and\/or detention\ncenters for extended periods of time. It is a common secret that the situation\nwhich has taken shape in the last 5 years is not in the best interest of the\nchild. Nor does it befit our country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The present letter is sent because of your crucial initiative on November\n24, 2019, to prioritize and to bring all the relevant competences under the\nPrime Minister\u2019s office, which we, first and foremost, welcome. We must,\nhowever, bring your attention to a set of issues, which have also been\nunderscored by the European Committee of Social Rights and which continue to\nput at risk the rights and the physical and mental health of unaccompanied\nchildren, who arrive in Greece.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Specifically, based on the latest available information provided by the\nNational Centre for Social Solidarity (EKKA) the number of unaccompanied\nchildren was 5,463 on January 31, 2020. The prevailing impression is that this\nfigure is obviously an underestimate, given that our organizations continue to\nidentify both cases of non-registration as well as phenomena of incorrect age\nassessment of refugees and migrants, who have recently arrived. This lack of\nclarity about the real number constitutes a material impediment for the\nprotection of children in Greece. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the same time, long-term accommodation places for children continue to\nbe far fewer than those required, in spite of the fact that there was an\nincrease of 182 places in 2019, bringing the total number of places to 1,286 at\nthe end of January 2020. Moreover, an estimated number of 187 children are\nunder detention, which under no circumstances can be considered to be in the\nbest interests of the child, as the practice of \u201cprotective custody\u201d has\nalready been ruled by the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) as being in\nbreach of the European Convention of Human Rights. In the last year alone, the\nECtHR condemned Greece for the protective custody of minors in successive\njudgments delivered by the Court. Finally, 1,077 unaccompanied children\ncontinue to live under precarious conditions or are homeless, with all the\nrisks that this entails for their safety and welfare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this context, we would like to underscore that the critical gap, which\nexists in children\u2019s access to safe accommodation is the main, but certainly\nnot the only problem that undermines their protection. Many children continue\nto be deprived access to basic means of survival, including health services,\nmedical care as well as services of psychosocial and legal support. Moreover,\nthere are unfortunately cases in which children face exclusion from the public\neducation system, in violation, amongst other things, of the International\nConvention on the Rights of the Child, which has been part of Greek law since\n1992.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, we would like to bring to your attention the lack of continuity\nthat short-circuits the Guardianship programme for unaccompanied minors. This\nprogramme was carried out until the end of 2019 by non-governmental\norganisations. Now it has come to an end without ensuring the continued\noperation of a similar programme. This has created a very serious gap. The new\nregulatory framework on the guardianship of minors is expected to enter into\nforce on March 1, 2020, in accordance with the relevant provisions of L.\n4554\/2018 which, after repeated postponements, has been significantly delayed. Today,\nFive days prior to the introduction of the framework, we have not been informed\neither about the commencement of its operation or the manner in which it will\nfunction, causing disquiet and reasonable concerns. In this context, care\nshould be taken to ensure that the institution shall enter into effect\nimmediately, together with other important institutions, such as foster care\nfor minors and we are in a position to put forward specific positions and\nproposals for their better operation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prime Minister, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Greek State has a moral and legal obligation to actively protect the\nfundamental rights of unaccompanied minors in Greece according to international\nand national legislation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Therefore, we would like to request that you ensure:<\/p>\n\n\n\n