General News

While several European countries are actively coordinating the evacuation of Palestinians from Gaza, Greece continues to abstain from any meaningful effort. There is no clear guidance to candidates for evacuation - effectively abandoning those it had previously recognised as refugees. I Have Rights is aware of at least two brothers with Greek refugee status [...]

Following a joint complaint made earlier by Samos-based organisations, the Greek Ombudsperson, on the 1st of August, found it imperative that persons suffering from serious illnesses or having other vulnerability characteristics be transferred to facilities in the mainland, in accordance with Greek law, so that they can enjoy special and dignified reception conditions, as [...]

On the 17th of July, the Greek Ministry of Migration and Asylum announced a draft law on the "Reform of the framework and procedures for the return of third-country nationals – Other provisions of the Ministry of Migration and Asylum". The draft law will be presented in the Hellenic Parliament in August, with a [...]

Joint statement by BVMN, IHR and MIT: We strongly condemn the Greek government’s new legislative amendment to suspend the processing of asylum applications for people arriving by sea from the North African route. On the 9th of July, Greece’s new Minister of Migration and Asylum, Thanos Plevris, announced the suspension of the submission and [...]

The Hellenic Ministry of Migration (MoMA) continues to violate data protection rights of asylum seekers in the Samos Closed Control Access Centre (CCAC), I Have Rights and Homo Digitalis said in a report released today.  The report, titled “They Never Tell Us Anything”: Ongoing Data Rights Violations in the Samos CCAC analyses the [...]

The undersigned organisations are in contact with asylum seekers living in refugee camps throughout Greece who report desperation at the ongoing lack of cash assistance payments, which has left people in the asylum procedure without any income since summer 2024. For some who face lengthy delays in the processing of their asylum applications, [...]

Together with four organizations, I Have Rights urges the EU Commissioner for Home Affairs and Migration, Magnus Brunner, to use the EU Commission’s oversight to monitor and improve conditions in the Samos CCAC to address its persistent shortcomings and human rights concerns. Ahead of last year’s adoption of the ‘New Pact on Migration [...]

Joint submission to the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe I Have Rights, Equal Legal Aid and Mobile Info Team jointly presented evidence to the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe on the implementation of ECtHR judgement on M.S.S. v. Belgium and Greece, highlighting ongoing deficiencies in reception conditions [...]

Hot off the heels of being condemned by the European Court of Human Rights for systemic pushbacks, Greece is also violating the rights of asylum seekers in the digital arena.  [Δείτε παρακάτω για το δελτίο τύπου στα ελληνικά] 21 January 2025, Samos, Greece. Asylum seekers arriving in Samos report their mobile phones are [...]

2024 was a pivotal chapter at I Have Rights. In 2024, people in the Samos Closed Controlled Access Centre (CCAC) continued to face dire conditions and violations of their basic human rights. Against this backdrop, our team worked to provide critical support to those seeking safety. In 2024 our casework team: Supported 297 [...]