April 25, 2024

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Greece Clamps Down on Aid Groups That Help Migrants

Greece has turn out to be the most recent European region to raise tension on help groups that aid asylum seekers, accusing them of involvement in trafficking, as part of its efforts to stem the stream of migrants and refugees who continue to make unsafe journeys to Europe.

The region has released prison investigations into many businesses in the earlier year, although also imposing new prerequisites on registering with the governing administration.

Help groups say it is part of a broader pattern of Greek authorities striving to discredit them and make it more durable for them to work, below the assumption that fewer migrants will occur to Greece if there are fewer nongovernmental businesses helping them when they arrive.

“We have witnessed more than the previous two years an intensification of the crackdown and criminalization of NGOs performing with migrants and asylum seekers,” stated Eva Cossé, a researcher with Human Rights Observe. “The level is to intimidate and harass them. It has presently developed a chilling impact in civil culture.”

Greece’s governing administration states its steps are aimed at stopping human trafficking. “We don’t want to be the gateway to Europe for unlawful migration or smuggling networks. Also we have done a great career of countering smuggling networks, dismantling them,” stated Alexandros Ragkavas, spokesman for the Greek Ministry of Migration and Asylum.