HumanRights360 and the Greek Council for Refugees representing 94 refugees from Syria, who are stranded on an islet in Evros, submitted on Wednesday 24.05.2022 to the European Court of Human Rights an urgent request for interim measures to ensure that the people have immediate humanitarian and medical assistance and that they will fall under the reception and identification procedures provided by law.
Just a few hours later, the ECHR granted the interim measures, ordering the Greek government not to remove the 94 refugees from the Greek territory, and to offer them access to food, water and adequate medical treatment. With the same ruling, the ECHR is also asking the Greek government to provide to the Court official information on the whereabouts of the refugees, on whether the refugees have been able to submit an asylum application and if they indeed submitted one, and on whether they received legal assistance throughout this process.
The refugees are still on the Evros islet in deplorable conditions. Among them are at least 30 children, including unaccompanied children, a disabled man, women, and elderly people. They are now suffering additional health problems and injuries after days of exposure to the conditions on the islet.
This case comes after a series of similar ECHR decisions [1] and following the recent application lodged by HumanRights360 and the Greek Council for Refugees for the 30 Syrian refugees, for whom interim measures were granted by the ECHR in March 2022 [2].
We call on the Greek government to comply immediately with the ECHR decision of 24.05.2022 and rescue immediately the 94 Syrian refugees from the Evros islet, as their situation is particularly vulnerable and their lives and health are in imminent danger.
For more information:
Evgenia Kouniaki, Legal Expert HumanRights360: evgenia.kouniaki@humanrights360.org, 6948.089082 & Eirini Vlahou, Lawyer, Consultant of HumanRights360, eblaxou@gmail.com
Maria Papamina, Coordinator of the Legal Service of GCR: 210.3800900, Papamina@gcr.gr
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[1] https://www.gcr.gr/el/news/press-releases-announcements
[2] https://www.humanrights360.org/el/aisio-telos-gia-tous-30-prosfyges-pou-diasothikan-apo-ti-nisida-tou-potamou-evrou/
