Greece: Information on the refugee determination process, and particularly, with regard to Albanians claimants

This Response to Information Request is supplemental to GRC21892.E of 28 September 1995.

For detailed information on asylum procedures in Greece, please consult the chapter on Greece in Asylum in Europe: A HandbookFor Agencies Assisting Refugees (1983) written by the European Consultation on Refugees and Exiles and available in GRC3778.E of 12 February 1990.

For statistical data and a brief description of the refugee determination process in Greece, please consult the UNHCR's Legal Factshets on Asylum Procedures in Europe and North America (Apr. 1992) attached to GRC21020.E of 16 August 1996. The 1996 and 1997 editions of World Refugee Survey also provide brief descriptions of the Greek asylum procedures.

Information on whether the Greek government has established a specific refugee determination process for Albanian claimants in Greece could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate in Ottawa.

However, it might be of interest to know that with regard to Albanian refugee claimants in Greece, Xinhua reports comments made by the Albanian President, Mr. Rexhep Meidani:

[the president] has praised the Greek government over its policy towards the Albanian refugees. Meidani told a visiting Greek parliamentary delegation headed by former foreign minister Karolos Papulias that relations between the two countries were strong. The president said Albania was thankful to the Greek government for granting Albanian refugees legal residential rights. He hoped the refugees would be allowed to use Albanian in their study and cultural activities...Legislation passed by the Greek parliament would create better opportunities for Albanian refugees in their lives and education, Papulias said (30 Mar. 1998).

According to Greek News,

Greece has begun preparing for an influx of ethnic Albanian refugees from the Serbian province of Kosovo, identifying potential holding areas along its northern border, officials said on Friday.

Temporary facilities are to be set up at Kozani, Kastoria, Florina and Pela just south of the frontier with the former Yugoslav republic of Macedonia (7 June 1998).

In a 1993 article, Xinhua reported that

The Albanian Ministry of Order said today that 2,150 Albanian refugees had been repatriated by Greece by 4 p.m. local time Wednesday. The move, the third of its kind carried out by Greece in the past 20 months, followed a massive repatriation of 25,000 Albanian refugees last June...At present, more than 300,000 Albanians are living in Greece as refugees (27 Oct. 1993).

In a 15 July 1998 telephone interview, the First Secretary of the Embassy of Greece in Ottawa stated that he was not aware that any legislative changes had been introduced to the refugee determination process in the last ten years. He also added that according to the Greek government Albanians do not have "the foundation for claiming political asylum in Greece because Albania is now a functioning democracy". There are thousands of illegal Albanian nationals in Greece who are in the country for economic reasons and "it is a reality the Greek government cannot escape". In order to find solutions to the problems associated with Albanians' illegal status in Greece, the Greek government has introduced certain measures to legalize their status in the country such as the issuance of renewable certificates of residency, particularly for those with employment.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

References

             Embassy of Greece, Ottawa. 15 July 1998. Telephone interview with First Secretary.

Greek News [Athens]. 7 June 1998. "Greece Prepares For Refugees From Kosovo Crisis." (NEXIS)

Xinhua News Agency. 30 March 1998. "Albania Praises Greece Over Refugee Problems." (NEXIS)

_____. 27 October 1993. "Greece Repatriates Albanian Refugees." (NEXIS)

Additional Sources Consulted

Ayotte, Wendy; Lown, Judy. 1992. Children orRefugees? A Survey of West European Policies on Unaccompanied Refugee Children. London, UK: Children's Legal Centre.

European Consultation on Refugees and Exiles. 1993. Asylum in Europe: An Introduction. 4th ed. Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Inter-Governmental Consultations on Asylum, Refugee and Migration Policies in Europe, North America and Australia. 1997. Report on Asylum Procedures: Overview of Policies and Practices in IGC Participating States. Geneva: IGC.

_____. 1995. Summary Description of Asylum Procedures in States in Europe, North America and Australia. Geneva: IGC

_____. 1994. Summary Description of Asylum Procedures in States in Europe, North America and Australia. Geneva: IGC

Joly, Danièle, et al. 1997. Refugees in Europe: the Hostile New Agenda. London: Minority Rights Group Publications.

_____. 1992. Refugees: Asylum in Europe? London: Minority Rights Group Publications.

Meissner, Doris M., et al. 1993. International Migration Challenges in a New era: Policy Perspectives and Priorities for Europe, Japan, North America and the International Community: a Report to the Trilateral Commission. IN: Triangle papers. no. 44.

UNHCR. 1996. European Convention on Human Rights and the Protection of Refugees, Asylum-Seekers and Displaced Persons. Geneva: Regional Bureau for Europe.

____. 1995. Overview of Protection Issues in Western Europe: Legislative Trends and Positions Taken by UNHCR. Geneva: Regional Bureau for Europe.