Hans Thoolen on Human Rights Defenders and their awards

(Undocumented immigrants in the courtyard of a detention centre near the Evros River in northern Greece – (c) Reuters)

I would be amiss in not reporting the criticism by Amnesty International of  my adopted home country: In is just released Annual Report on 2012 it has blamed legislation introduced last year in Greece for the ‘disgraceful’ treatment of migrants and asylum seekers. New laws allow detention of ‘irregular migrants and asylum-seekers on grounds such as suspicion of carrying infectious diseases such as HIV,’ the Amnesty’s annual report said. Police are also now able extend the maximum three- or six-month period that an asylum-seeker can be held by a further 12 months

Amnesty highlighted Greece’s tough new immigration laws and Italy’s deportation of asylum seekers to countries where they are at risk of abuse. “Certainly you could argue that austerity measures and economic crises have led to scapegoating of asylum seekers and people seeking a better life,” the Secretary General of AI told AP.

Amnesty: Greek legislation fuels asylum-seeker abuse | Article Page | Home.

This entry was posted on May 24, 2013 at 11:51 and is filed under AI, Amnesty international, human rights.

Tags: Amnesty, Amnesty International, AP, austerity measures, detention, economic crises, Greece, HIV, human rights abuses, Immigration, Italy, Refugee, refugees, Reuters