Human Rights Watch expressed serious concerns about the
proposed immigration law to be tabled at Parliament this week.
Human Rights Watch voiced its concerns after a meeting with Minister of Interior Vasso Papandreou in Athens Wednesday. The meeting occurred as Human Rights Watch concluded an eighteen-day research mission that focused on the rights of migrants in Greece.
"The bill apparently fails to provide basic human rights protection for undocumented children and for other vulnerable migrants," said Julia Hall, Human Rights Watch researcher conducting the investigation. "We reminded the government of its obligations in this area under international law."
Areas of particular concern included:
Access to education-Under the draft law, children of undocumented migrants will not be permitted to attend school without proof of legal status. The proposed denial of access to education for these children is a violation of Greece's obligations under the 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Access to Health Care-The proposed law denies undocumented migrants access to public health facilities except in undefined "emergency" circumstances and incorporates a July 2000 Ministry of Health directive requiring mandatory reporting by staff when undocumented persons seek treatment. These measures could deter undocumented persons, including children, from seeking essential health services.
Access to Justice-The draft law fails to provide adequate redress for undocumented migrants when crimes (including police abuse) are committed against them. The law does not include protective measures for victims of trafficking and other crime victims, which would permit them to bring a claim against their perpetrators without fear of summary deportation.
Human Rights Watch welcomed the proposed provisions on family reunification and encouraged the government to ensure that this progressive feature of the draft law be included in the final version.
Minister Papandreou also indicated that Parliament would consider a second phase of "regularization" for undocumented migrants; the first phase ran from January 1998 until April 1999.
Human Rights Watch is a privately funded international non-governmental organization dedicated to monitoring human rights conditions throughout the world and advocating policies to address violations of international standards. The rights group vowed to continue monitoring developments with respect to the draft immigration law in Greece.
