Greece

“Hot spots: Athens reports execution

Greece wants to have a Schengen dismissal: time for the EU summit, reports the government of significant progress in the recording and registration of refugees. By Jannis Papadimitriou, Athens.

Since then, a confidential report by the EU Commission at the beginning of the year the Greeks are serious shortcomings in border management certified, is the government in Athens from all sides under pressure: Brussels threatened at times with an exclusion from the Schengen area; Eastern European EU member States want the so-called “Balkan route” for refugees block; the Opposition accuses Linkspremier Alexis Tsipras Konzeptlosigkeit.

At the beginning of February took Tsipras finally, the Initiative and entrusted the army with the construction of five reception centres to the registration and distribution of asylum seekers. Originally, these “Hotspots” for refugees until the end of 2015 to be finished – so the original Pledges from Athens. But the competent authorities limped to the schedule forever afterwards.

The army has apparently now delivered: On Tuesday surprised defense Minister Panos Kamenos with the announcement that four Hotspots on the Islands of Lesbos, Samos, Chios and Leros were completed and a further reception centre on the island of Kos would be in the next few days to complete. Every day there are up to 11,000 refugees can be registered. In addition, two accommodation centre for 4,000 people, near the capital Athens and second city Thessaloniki in construction and would probably be up Friday to be completed, insured Kamenos.

Defence Minister Kammenos in Transitcamp Schisto in Athens: “Four Hotspots done”

Noiseless is not all about the stage: especially in Thessaloniki, as well as on the holiday island of Kos in protest of local residents against the establishment of Flüchtlingseinrichtungen in your neighborhood. After some initial Hesitation, the government seems the protests are now to ignore them and fulfill her promise to want, at least 50,000 refugees permanently in Greece to accommodate. “An Eleven-million-Land but it must be possible to 50,000 refugees,” said Einwanderungsminister Jannis Mouzalas of the weekly newspaper “To Vima”. According to Mouzalas the government was currently in negotiations with cities and municipalities on the establishment of further Aufnahmelagern.

Displeasure over the “coalition of the Unwilling“

Greece series is now finally in the “coalition of the willing” to tackle the refugee crisis in Europe, says Angelos Syrigos, Professor of international law at the Panteion University of Athens. Similar to how in terms of finances, guide the left-right government of Alexis Tsipras hereby a realistic turn in the refugee crisis, after a long time a policy of the open door had pursued, says the lawyer and former state Secretary in the Athens Ministry of the interior. “In order to pull Greece and Germany together. If that is also what brings, we get to know during the upcoming EU summit. Too strong even the resistance of Eastern European EU countries, as advocates of a restrictive refugee policy apply,” warns Syrigos.

With displeasure reacts to Greece on the negative attitude of this “Aggressive”. For excitement it is all a Plan of the Visegrád group (Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia), the so-called “Balkan route” for refugees to lock, from Greece via Serbia to Central Europe. In this case, it would come also from the Athenian point of view to a Rückführungsstau. Hundreds of thousands of newcomers would then in Greece, stuck, as you continue in the direction of the North refused would remain.

Law Professor Syrigos formulated yet diplomatically, if he finds, in the question of refugees there is currently a divide between “old” and “new” Europe. Much more dramatic it brings the Deputy foreign Minister Nikos Xydakis on the point: “Who are the countries, Greece criticize? There are partners, not even a single blanket for the refugees have provided” lamented Xydakis, according to media reports, during the recent EU foreign Ministers meeting.

Protests against the planned “Hotspot” on the island of Kos

Scholar of international law Syrigos urges leniency: “it is Important, first, that Greece of its obligations regarding the identification and registration of refugees are met. Only those who have own homework, may also make demands,” said Angelos Syrigos.

Greece’s most important demand concerns the resettlement of refugees, as Recently agreed at EU level. I had promised the redistribution of 66.400 people in other EU member States, but so far, there were only 218 refugees were resettled. It is therefore important that the government in Athens, in fact, your homework, urges the EU MEP Miltos Kyrkos: “as soon As we have our commitments, the Ball is in the field of EU partners. You must then, according to the agreement, to relocate the refugees to take care of,” says the social-liberal politicians.

Key role for Turkey

Since the refugees continue through the neighboring country of Turkey, in boats to come to Greece, see the government in Athens last but not least, the Turks in the duty, eyed it but also critical. In an Interview with the “süddeutsche Zeitung” claimed the Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos in January, Turkish authorities would be criminal smugglers of human beings to tolerate.

However, you can see in Athens is no Alternative to cooperation with Turkey. Scholar of international law Syrigos: “Naturally, the border control is much easier if the refugees still on the Turkish mainland. As soon as these people in the boat sit, everything only gets more complicated, because you need time saved and identified,” warns the lawyer.

One must also not forget that Turkey already have more than two million people from Syria – and this, without any financial compensation. If you think about how Austria is upset, when it comes to 100,000 refugees to accommodate, so Syrigos, then the Turkish receptiveness, but an enormous contribution to crisis management.