Month: July 2020

Since New Democracy came to power in July 2019 campaigning on a platform of Law and Order they have hired over 2000 new police officers. There has been a focus on DIAS, the motorcycle based cops who move in groups of between 2 and 8 bikes. Their primary task is to stop and harass people on the street. In addition there are large scale and covert sweeps in which around 20 cops will descend on public squares, racially profile people, check IDs and then take away groups of people in minibuses. During the lockdown in Greece everyone needed to carry documents explaining their reason for being outside as well as IDs. This gave further power to the police. Post lockdown they continue to occupy the public squares.

Από τότε που ήρθε στην εξουσία η Νέα Δημοκρατία με ένα πρόγραμμα νόμου και τάξης, έχουν προσληφθεί πάνω από 2000 επιπλέον αστυνομικοί, με προτίμηση στους ΔΙΑΣ, τους μπάτσους με μοτοσικλέτες που κινούνται σε ομάδες των 2 ως 8 μηχανών. Η βασική δουλειά τους είναι να σταματάνε και να παρενοχλούν κόσμο στον δρόμο. Επιπρόσθετα γίνονται εκτεταμένες και κρυφές επιχειρήσεις σκούπα όπου γύρω στους 20 μπάτσους ορμάνε σε δημόσιους χώρους, σταματάνε άτομα και ελέγχουν ταυτότητες με ρατσιστικά κριτήρια και παίρνουν κόσμο σε βαν. Κατά τη διάρκεια της καραντίνας στην Ελλάδα, όλος ο κόσμος ήταν υποχρεωμένος να κινείται με χαρτιά που εξηγούσαν γιατί κυκλοφορούσε έξω και με ταυτότητες. Αυτό έδωσε ακόμα περισσότερο τον έλεγχο στην αστυνομία. Μετά την καραντίνα συνεχίζουν να καταλαμβάνουν τις πλατείες.

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On 4th May the general lockdown was lifted in Greece. This allowed people to be outside without an official reason and began the re-opening of shops such as hairdressers. Without giving a reason the Greek government simultaneously announced an extension of the lockdown in closed camps, including Moria, until 21st May. On 31st May the lockdown in Moria was extended for another week, meaning the camp will re-open 1 month* after the rest of the island of Lesvos. There have been no confirmed cases of Corona in Moria camp.

* This never happened. After lots of extensions, the camps are still closed – currently until August 31st.

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ESTIA stands for Emergency Support Towards Integration and Accommodation. Started in 2017 it is funded by the EU and run by UNHCR in cooperation with the Greek government, local authorities and NGOs. The program provides accommodation in apartments and hotels in Greece as well as the cash card scheme which provides a variant and relative amount of money to individuals and families.

In February 2019 Syriza & UNHCR announced they will be evicting people from these accommodation structures and ending cash support giving 6 month notice periods after individuals gained asylum. In November 2019 a new asylum law is passed, which among many other things reduces the eviction notice period from 6 months to 2 months.

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