In Exarcheia- the struggle for migrant rights in Greece

In April over the period of the Greek Easter, just before the General Election, I travelled with Sue, a, Kent Refugee Help trustee to meet up with our friend Eleftheria in Athens. Eleftheria had obtained an MA in migrant studies at the University of Kent. She then worked for KRH as caseworker from 2010 -11. Eleftheria returned to Greece to be with family and friends at a time when many other young people were leaving to seek work elsewhere because of the austerity crisis. She told us it was important to be back in her country and see things through in this time of struggle.

The election of the left Government Syriza in March 2015 had brought hope for change in Greece. We wanted to know how this had affected the work Eleftheria was now doing as a volunteer in a migrant shelter in Athens. Syriza’s election promise to end the detention of migrants coincided with the first UK inquiry into indefinite immigration detention which recommended the introduction of a 28 day time limit; something that no UK Government had been prepared to consider. Films made undercover shown on Channel 4 News exposed the abusive treatment of detainees in Yarlswood and Harmondsworth Immigration Removal centres, triggering hunger strikes inside detention and solidarity protests outside by activists. In response the Green party pledged to end detention and Labour to end indefinite detention for those in the immigration and asylum system and stop detaining pregnant women, though this was tempered by a commitment to increase immigration enforcement. However it seemed that despite the climate of hostility and wholesale attack on migrant rights intrinsic to austerity, something was shifting.

We met Eleftheria in Exarcheia where she lives; a neighbourhood famous for its political and social life where artists, poets, anarchists and anti-fascists gather and historic archaeological sites exist beside a patchwork of bars, fair trade shops and organic food stores. Eleftheria said she thought Exarcheia means,” outside the City or outside authority”. She took us to the square where people meet to socialise and organize when there is trouble from the police. In December 2008 the murder of a 15 year old boy, Alexander Grigoropoulos in Exarchaeia caused rioting across Greece. Eleftheria explained that

traditionally migrants had no access to accommodation, “In 2013 members of the fascist minority party Golden Dawn killed a Pakistani migrant and a year later, a left wing rapper, both in the middle of the central street; two years before this they closed the central square and drove out the migrants who lived there as homeless people. Migrants during the economic and political crisis faced huge barriers; attacks by fascists, no access to jobs and no asylum system. They were discriminated against and harassed by the police in a country where no welfare or shelter is provided. Many only found shelter in detention centres or prisons.”

The conditions in the detention centres are very bad with overcrowding, poor sanitation, no heating or hot water. Syriza’s Deputy Interior Minister Yannis Panousis expressed publicly his shock and disbelief after visiting a centre, “Detention centres-we’ve finished with them. I’m here to express my shame, not as a minister but as a human being. This must change and change immediately.”

Eleftheria told us that there is a movement against detention by activists and NGOs who organized legal support and protests but public sympathy was diverted by Pasok and New Democracy, the previous administration who blamed migrants for the austerity measures demanded by the Troika and the Eurozone.

“How are things now that Syriza is in power?” I asked.

“Syriza has promised to release asylum seekers in to reception centres so that their asylum claims can be properly processed. Now a system has been implemented that follows some standards of asylum rights. Previously people were detained for years with no chance to regularize their status. This is an improvement and recently more people have been granted asylum but those who came before the new system are still waiting for an asylum interview. Some have been waiting 6 years. What is not understood is that the majority never intended to stay in Greece; they were on route to other countries to seek asylum when they were arrested and detained. Syriza have released some unaccompanied minors to shelters. They have also promised to bring back citizenship for second generation immigrants and are meeting with grass roots groups. Migrants report that they feel a bit better and there is less harassment from the police.”

Eleftheria’s worry was that if Syriza are not able to deliver on other promises for jobs and pensions Greeks may look to Golden Dawn for solutions. Golden Dawn’s actions are now subject to investigation in the courts but they still have influence.

Eleftheria took us to the shelter where she volunteers in another district. The white three storey house which accommodates up to 15 asylum seekers is named HOS which means Rising Sun. It was funded by a trade unionist and is run on a voluntary basis by Eleftheria and three colleagues. All the residents must provide their own food and are linked in to a social worker or psychologist so there is a professional network for support. Eleftheria said that up until 2014 asylum seekers could get a work permit but now they have to apply at the Job Centre and if the job is designated for a resident Greek they cannot apply for it. This discriminatory policy implemented by the Pasok, New Democracy Coalition must be replaced by the right to work for all migrants.

At the shelter we met a young man who had fled violence in Congo Brazzaville and an Iranian who feared his father had been killed by ISIS.

“You must tell everyone how difficult it is for us”, they said.

There are many parallels between the situation for migrants in Greece and those detained, destitute or living on vouchers in the UK. So I have suggested to Eleftheria and the trustees of Kent Refugee Help that we should twin in international solidarity for migrant rights. Regular contact and an exchange of information can only strengthen our work and our resolve. After we left Eleftheria emailed, “I’m glad we spent this time together. Let me know what happens with your elections. Here things are on hold. We are waiting to see what will finally happen- to either push or support and push.”

Back in the UK with the election of a Conservative Government we are faced with more austerity, new sweeping immigration and anti-terrorism powers and a plan to scrap the Human Rights Act. The scandalous process of indefinite immigration detention continues. However there will be an anti- racist /anti-fascist bloc making fresh demands on the big anti- austerity march taking place in London on June 20th. The fire will not go out.

Kate Adams

With thanks to Eleftheria

20/5/15