Why Athens mayor’s plea to Syrians camped out in Syntagma to apply for asylum could be a trap

Athens Mayor Giorgos Kaminis says the refugees camped opposite parliament are using their children in a ‘morally unacceptable way’ to pursue their demands. The mayor said women and children are being used as ‘shields’ in Syrian refugee protest at Syntagma

Kaminis has lashed out against the Syrian refugees camped at Syntagma Square for putting the health of their children at risk.

He said the refugees, who have been camped opposite parliament in the capital’s main square for three weeks braving cold weather and rain, are refusing an offer from city authorities to be moved to municipal hostels.

“There are families with young children at Syntagma Square. The endurance and health of these people is being put to the test in these weather conditions,” he said.

Kaminis said that city authorities are ready to take in these families and their children but have met with the resistance of the refugees and added that a municipal bus was sent to pick them but to no avail.

“I consider it morally unacceptable for anyone to use women and children as a shield in order to pursue a demand,” he said.

The Syrian refugees are demanding documents from the government to travel to other EU countries and many have gone on hunger strike.

The government has countered that it, nor any other EU government for that matter,  can provide such documents because they simply don’t exist.

Instead, it is urging them to apply for asylum as their only legal option, which in theory, if their application for asylum is granted, would secure them free healthcare and the the right to work and the right to visit other European countries for three months, twice a year.

However, Eurostat data tells another story:  Out of the 13,080 asylum applications made in 2013, only 430 were accepted. In other words, just 3.28%. According to the Dublin 2 agreement, if the asylum request in Greece is rejected, refugees cannot apply for asylum in another EU country, and are therefore trapped in Greece.

In a statement, the Greek anti-racism group ‘Expel racism’ said (link in Greek): “What they [the refugees] are asking from the Greek government is to grant them the right to move, so they can apply for asylum in other countries. Instead of this, the government, which is bound by the Dublin agreement, is playing games with them, offering them a status of international protection so they can stay in Greece legally, but which, however, denies them the right to settle in another country.

“At the same time, it doesn’t offer them any guarantees of food and shelter which means that nothing will change – the refugees themselves know there is no way they can find jobs in Greece. All they do know, is that they have a legal right to die of cold and hunger in Greece.”  

Kaminis, however, appears to be overlooking these sentiments.

“People must understand that what the refugees are asking for, (travel documents) without having applied for asylum, is not feasible”, Kaminis said and called on refugee parents to show more respect  to their children’s health.
“They should at least respect the health of these children. We had and have a hostel ready. I’m calling on them to think about it and not to undertake the horrible responsibility of putting the children’s health at risk,” he added.