Thread by @AdrianaTdn

THREAD: On 1 June 11,237 refugees and migrants in Greece were asked to leave their accommodation. More will follow in the future. In the uncertainty of #COVID__19, which compounds risks for #refugeesgr, they are expected to earn and find homes for themselves. Some thoughts:

1/In March 2020 Greek law was changed so that, upon obtaining recognition, refugees and subsidiary protection beneficiaries would need to leave their accommodation within 30 days. Earlier, they had 6 months’ notice. This affects those in housing schemes, camps & other facilities.

2/@nmitarakis says that the 1 June deadline applies to 4000 people in #ESTIA housing scheme for 'vulnerable' people, run w/UNHCR, 1200 people renting places autonomously and 6037 residents of camps, hotels and other facilities. Cash assistance for basic needs is also discontinued

3/You can read @nmitarakis press release on the issue, in Greek, here: mitarakis.gr/gov/migration/…

4/Termination of housing support for recognised refugees in Greece started from early 2019 for ‘historic’ refugees who had their status recognised from 2017 onwards. Their ‘exit’, organised in successive rounds, also raised concerns. See @rspaegean here: bit.ly/3cpB1zm

5/ Amnesty is concerned that the decision to reduce the notice period for termination of housing support to 30 days comes at a time of uncertainty and anticipated economic recession due to COVID-19, which might expose #refugeesgr to higher risks.

6/By law, an exception to the termination of housing support after 30 days applies to unaccompanied minors for whom that deadline runs from when they reach adulthood Other categories who might be eligible for extensions were left to be regulated by a separate ministerial decision

7/While initial application of the law was postponed from April to end May, due to #COVID__19, it still poses risks to #refugeesgr as many camps on the islands and some mainland facilities remain in lockdown with restrictions on all movements until 21 June
bit.ly/3cIE71H

8/It is not clear how people who live in these facilities -and are now required to leave their accommodation- will be able to find a job or rent a house when they still face daily restrictions on all movements.

9/ Unlike for residents in #ESTIA housing, the new rules do not provide for the possibility to request the extension of support beyond the 30 days for those among the 6.037 people living in camps & other facilities, who might face risks upon exiting accommodation now.

10/So what are refugees expected to do? Technically, recognised refugees facing termination of housing are eligible to benefit from the Helios 2 integration programme run by @IOMGREECE and Gr Ministry of Immigration and asylum. bit.ly/3cMW2nC

11/According to @IOMGREECE HELIOS beneficiaries "receive information, assistance and financial support aiming at supporting and promoting independent living” including assistance with securing a rental contract.
Rental subsidies are however only paid once the contract is secured

12/Therefore for HELIOS beneficiaries there would be no coverage for accommodation needs between the exit day and when they receive rental subsidies
If previously this was mitigated by the 6-months’ notice to leave accommodation, the 30-day deadline increases risks of destitution

13/NGOs have also raised shortcomings about HELIOS’ ability to sufficiently cover the needs of the refugee population. A recent joint statement by NGOs highlights that “out of 8,752 people enrolled [in HELIOS] only 1,590 people receive rental subsidies"

helprefugees.org/news/8300-refu…

14/ What’s more, to secure a rental contract, refugees need to have an AFM (fiscal registration number) and a Greek bank account. NGOs in Greece identified challenges for refugees to obtain it. See: @rspaegean rsaegean.org/wp-content/upl…

15/But refugees in Greece struggle with even more basic issues. An NGO in Athens told Amnesty that some people who received refugee status recently have to wait for long times until they receive residence documents, which can impact their ability to open a bank account & rent

16/@nmitarakis statement of 29 May on the discontinuation of housing support says that measures will be accompanied by the ‘adaptation of the Helios programme’ and cooperation with the Labour Employment Organization and the Organization for Welfare and Social Solidarity.

17/But the Ministry’s proposals are too little too late.
People who will lose their home in June -and won’t be able to access HELIOS or other support- will be left to fend for themselves, after months of isolation due to #COVID__19, often facing language or other barriers

18/women and girls might also be exposed to additional risks in this context. NGOs working on this told Amnesty “The measures will create circumstances leading to poverty, and desperation for many. We fear about the increased precariousness and vulnerability that women will face"

19/In the context of #COVIDー19, @govgr must ensure that no one is put in a position of increased vulnerability to the disease. This includes people deprived of their accommodation and who can't afford alternative adequate housing.

@amnesty calls 🇬🇷 to ensure that termination of housing support does not expose #refugeegr to homelessness or destitution.
Continued access to essential services must be urgently ensured including by extending housing & other support programs, until exits can happen in safety/END