Committee of Ministers: decision on execution of M.S.S. and Rahimi groups v. Greece

Date: 
Tuesday, December 8, 2015

The Council of Europe Committee of Ministers examined the implementation in the M.S.S. and Rahimi groups of cases against Greece (no. 30696/09 and 8687/08) at its 1243rdmeeting. In its decision, it welcomed the creation of a new administrative authority for immigration and the drafting of a new action plan. It noted the increase in accommodation capacity for asylum seekers and called on the authorities to intensify efforts to ensure the sustainable operation of open reception facilities and provision of services, ensuring that reception facilities met adequate standards. It strongly invited the Greek authorities to pursue efforts to ensure that all unaccompanied minors are referred to special accommodation centres and assisted by special personnel. The Committee will consider other issues with regard to the living conditions of asylum seekers and unaccompanied minors in Greece, at the latest, at its meeting in December 2016.

The Committee had before it a submission by Amnesty International dated 27 November 2015 which shared its concerns regarding inadequate first reception services for refugees and asylum seekers in Greece, conditions on the border with FYROM, lack of accommodation capacity, failure to identify unaccompanied children and their detention and the risk of police violence and racist attacks. 

This item was reproduced with the permission of ECRE from the weekly ELENA legal update supported by the Fundamental Rights and Citizenship Funding Programme and distributed by email. The purpose of these updates is to inform asylum lawyers and legal organizations supporting asylum seekers and refugees of recent developments in the field of asylum law. Please note that the information provided is taken from publicly available information on the internet. Every reasonable effort is made to make the content accurate and up to date at the time each item is published but no responsibility for its accuracy and correctness, or for any consequences of relying on it, is assumed by ECRE, the IRC or its partners.

                                                     

 

Keywords: 
Detention
Inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
Material reception conditions
Reception conditions
Unaccompanied minor
Vulnerable person