Over the last three month, the number of people reaching Samos and applying for asylum sharply increased, with now approximately 800 people living in the Closed Controlled Access Centre (CCAC). Our team is working hard to provide people with legal information and interview preparation.
On 5th September a group of asylum seekers held a protest in the CCAC. The protest was sparked by the Greek authorities issuing 40 rejections in 1 day. Not only did most of these rejections come only a few weeks after people’s asylum interview, they come after legal actors on Samos have noticed flagrant violations of asylum seekers procedural rights in their asylum process. Beneficiaries of I HAVE RIGHTS report that interviews are often set on such short notice that there is no time to reach out for legal information; medical and psychological care in the CCAC is still inadequate which leaves vulnerable asylum seekers without a proper vulnerability assessments and care; interviews increasingly take place with remotely connected interpreters or case workers, making communication difficult. Applicants also report being pressured to rush through their stories. These violations of asylum seekers rights are extremely worrying as they undermine people’s right to a fair and effective asylum procedure.
I HAVE RIGHTS successfully filed an interim measure in front of the The European Court of Human Rights, enforcing the relocation of two asylum seekers to the mainland in order to receive necessary medical treatment.
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