legal and social conditions for asylum seekers and refugees in ...

SOCIAL CONDITIONS FOR ASYLUM SEEKERS
Introduction/legal basis
Provisions for the social rights granted to asylum seekers in Greece are laid down in various legal
texts including:
– the Presidential Decree No. 266/1999 on the Centre for refugees in Lavrion in the Attika region
as well as the medical care of asylum seekers, refugees and persons with humanitarian status;
– the Presidential Decree No. 189/1998 on the Conditions and procedure for the grant of a work
permit or any other assistance for occupational rehabilitation to refugees recognised by the state,
to asylum seekers and to those granted temporary residence on humanitarian grounds;
– the Act No. 2646/1998 on the National system of social care.
Accommodation on arrival
According to Section 24(2) of the Aliens Act, as modified in December 1996, the Ministries of
Health and Welfare and of Public Order are responsible for establishing and organising temporary
reception centres for asylum seekers. Appropriate shelters for applicants held at ports and
airports should also be provided. However, no measures have yet been taken to open these
facilities. Thus, for the time being, no accommodation is provided by the authorities to asylum
seekers arriving in Greece, with the sole exception of the Lavrion reception centre near Athens.
In the absence of any state-supported facilities at border points, churches and members of the
local communities provide initial accommodation and food.
Within the country, the Lavrion reception centre, established under the provisions of the
Presidential Decree No. 266/1999, is the only accommodation made available by the authorities.
It is located southeast of Athens and has a capacity of 300 beds. The centre operates under the
authority of the Ministry of Health and Welfare. Social services and education programmes are
run by the International Social Service but financed by the Greek authorities.
The number of places in the centre is very limited and priority is therefore given to vulnerable
cases such as persons with psychological problems, unaccompanied minors, elderly people,
single parents, large families with young children and persons with special needs.
Due to the insufficient number of places in the Lavrion centre, accommodation is problematic. In
practice, some needs are covered by non-governmental organisations, such as the Red Cross,
the Greek Council for Refugees (GCR), the Social Work Foundation (SWF) and Caritas.
In 2000, the GCR is running a programme, financed by the European Commission, under which a
daily allowance of GDR 1,500 [EUR 4,5] is granted for 20 days to a maximum of 1,660 newly
arrived asylum seekers, in order to assist them in finding accommodation.
Financial assistance
Provided by the state
In principle, no financial assistance is granted to asylum seekers by the Greek state. In special
cases, however, assistance may be given to unprotected children, for example orphans,
unaccompanied children, children whose parent is imprisoned or seriously ill, etc.
132
Greece