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16 March 2001
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HR/CERD/01/19
16 March 2001
COMMITTEE ON THE ELIMINATION OF RACIAL DISCRIMINATION
BEGINS CONSIDERATION OF REPORTS OF GREECE
The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination this afternoon began its review of the twelfth, thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth periodic reports of Greece on how that country is implementing the rights enshrined in the International Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination.
Maria Telalian, Legal Adviser of the Special Legal Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and head of the Greek delegation, told the Committee Experts that Greece traditionally used to be a country of emigration. However, during the last decade, it had experienced a massive influx of immigrants, in particular from neighbouring countries as a result of the collapse of the former communist regimes and the ethnic conflicts that followed.
Mrs. Telalian said most of these immigrants came from Albania illegally, trying to find better living conditions. After the popular uprising in that country in 1997, and the Security Council authorised intervention in order to prevent internal armed conflict, many criminal bands that looted weapons from the Albanian army had contributed to the rise of criminality in Greece and in other European countries, especially through gun trafficking and organized crime. Certain Greek border areas were particularly touched by these events which had triggered a sense of insecurity among the local people and a negative stereotype of Albanians. As a result, some isolated xenophobic incidents had taken place against some of these foreigners.
However, she said, these reactions did not amount to racism, as there were definitely no signs of race hatred or race prejudice or acts of racist aggression against foreigners.
Joining Mrs. Telalian on the delegation were Elias Kastanas, Rapporteur of the Special Legal Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Vicky Ghiavi, Head of the Citizenship Department of the Ministry of Interior, Public Administration and Decentralization; Panaghiotis Halkiotis, Adviser to the Minister of Foreign Affairs; Sotiris Papaspyropoulos, Adviser to the Minister of Interior, Public Administration and Decentralization; and Ioanna Babassika, Legal Counsellor of the Medical Rehabilitation Center for Torture Victims.
The Greek delegation will answer questions raised by Committee members on Monday morning.
Committee Experts asking questions were Yuri A. Rechetov, the Rapporteur on the report, Gay McDougall, Luis Valencia Rodriguez, Patrick Thornberry, Ion Diaconu, Raghavan Vasudevan Pillai, Tang Chengyuan, Mario Jorge Yutzis, and Agha Shahi.
The Committee will resume its meeting at 10 a.m. on Monday, 19 March to conclude its public consideration of the reports of Greece.
Reports of Greece
The twelfth, thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth periodic reports of Greece, contained in one document (CERD/C/363/Add.4), detail on an article-by-article basis how the country adheres to the tenets and mandates contained in the International Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination. The report describes the general legal framework in Greece which ensures the respect of human rights. It enumerates Greece’s ratification or signature of international human rights instruments and recent developments within that field, as well as illustrating the enforcement of the human rights instruments by domestic courts. Further, a section speaks about the national machinery with responsibility for overseeing the implementation of human rights.
The document refers to the Muslim minority in Thrace, and provides statistical data on it. A 1991 census revealed that there were approximately 98,000 members of the Muslim minority in Thrace, an area with 338,000 people. They totalled 0.92 per cent of the entire Greek population of 10.62 million. This minority consists of three ethnic groups whose members are of Turkish origin (50 per cent), Pomaks (an indigenous population that speaks a Slavic dialect and espoused Islam during Ottoman rule, totalling 35 per cent) and Roma (15 per cent). Each of these groups has its own distinct spoken language and cultural tradition. They share, however, a common religion, Islam, which is the basic reason for the denomination of the minority in its entirety as "Muslim" in the Lausanne Treaty of 1923, which constitutes the legal basis for the protection of this minority. The reports describe the participation of this minority in political life, and the educational rights of its members.
The reports also describe the situation of migrant workers, refugees and asylum seekers. During the 1990s, Greece experienced a wave of legal and illegal immigration. A country of emigration since the end of World War II, Greece has become a country of immigration. Greek authorities stepped up their efforts in order to ensure the integration of immigrants into the Greek society. The procedures for the legalization of migrant workers is underway. The deadline for registration and submission of the application for the granting of a "green card" has expired. Many aliens are already holders of a green card or of the certificate for its granting. As of June 1999, 373,196 aliens were registered; 52,936 obtained a "white card", which enabled them to reside and work legally in Greece on a temporary basis. Further, a Presidential Decree on asylum procedures was put into effect in June 1999. The Decree provides for close cooperation between Greek authorities and representatives of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and lays down rules and conditions for the exercise of the right of refugees to family reunion.
Presentation of Reports of Greece
MARIA TELALIAN, Legal Adviser of the Special Legal Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Greece and head of the delegation, said national institutions, as had been stated by the Committee's previous recommendations, played an effective role in the implementation of the Convention. A National Radio and Television Council had been established, which oversaw the implementation of legislative and other provisions against racism, xenophobia and incitement of hatred in the field of the electronic media. The Authority on the Protection of Personal Data was entrusted with the mandate to regulate the collection and processing of sensitive personal data, such as those concerning race, ethnic origin, political opinions, and religious beliefs, which could lead to a violation of the principle of non-discrimination. The institution of the Ombudsman began its work in September 1998, and during the first two years of its existence, it had received 20,000 complaints, a great number of which concerned vulnerable groups. The National Commission on Human Rights was composed of representatives of non-governmental organizations, political parties, Bar Associations, independent state agencies, trade unions, university professors, government officials, and Supreme Court judges. The Commission made proposals on legislative and other reforms relating to matters such as religious freedom and aliens' rights.
Mrs. Telalian said Greece traditionally used to be a country of emigration. However, during the last decade, it had experienced a massive influx of immigrants, in particular from neighbouring countries as a result of the collapse of the former communist regimes and the ethnic conflicts that had followed. This had destabilised the Southeastern European States. The total number of immigrants was estimated to amount to 7 per cent of the population.
Most of these immigrants came from Albania illegally, trying to find better living conditions, Mrs. Telalian said. After the popular uprising in that country in 1997, and the Security Council authorised intervention in order to prevent internal armed conflict, many criminal bands that looted weapons from the Albanian army had contributed to the rise of criminality in Greece, and in other European countries as well, especially through gun trafficking and organized crime. Certain border areas of Greece were particularly touched by these events, which triggered a sense of insecurity among the local people and a negative stereotype of Albanians. As a result, some isolated xenophobic incidents had taken place against some of these foreigners.
However, she said, these reactions did not amount to racism, as there were definitely no signs of race hatred or race prejudice or acts of racist aggression against foreigners. It was noted that no political party in Greece had ever adopted any racist orientation or right-wing extremist slogans against foreigners. This was mainly due to the fact that such an ideology could not find any appeal within the Greek public. Indeed, it was stressed two days ago in Greek Parliament, during the enactment of the new immigration bill, that Greek people were extremely sensitive to the issue of racism since they had been immigrants themselves in European or other countries.
Mrs. Telalian said the increase of migrant populations in Greece was not confronted with adequate and timely measures. The absence of a long-term immigration policy that would establish the rules for legal entry and stay and be socially integrated was striking. It became clear that the rise of immigrant criminality was also the result of their irregular stay in the country, as well as a lack of social policy in this area, since many clandestine foreigners were obliged to engage in illegal activities in order to make their living. This was confirmed recently after a regularisation process that was applied by the Government in 1998 had resulted in the number of crimes committed by foreigners diminishing.
Mrs. Telalian reiterated Greece's commitment to respect for human rights and freedoms and democratic principles, which were of great importance to the fight against race hatred and discrimination. Greece rejected all forms of racist violence and racial discrimination and the incitement of it. The Government would do its utmost to eradicate all causes that lay behind racism and xenophobia. Improvement of the economic situation of certain targeted groups and awareness-raising among the public concerning racism and intolerance were the best means to tacking these problems. Cultural diversity should be seen as a richness, and not as a threat to
society. Respect for the different should be a priority. In these efforts, the Government felt that both the general and country-specific recommendations of the Committee were going to serve as useful and effective tools that would guide Greek legislation and policy in the future.
Discussion
Committee Expert Yuri Rechetov, the Rapporteur on the report, said Greece recognized the role of this Committee in preventing racial discrimination. Greece was a party to all basic legal instruments to prevent racial discrimination. This was very important. Greece had also said that in the near future it would make a declaration under article 14.
According to the report, the Muslim minority consisted of three basic groups, Mr. Rechetov said. That led to a number of questions and problems that were highlighted by NGOs. There was the question of self-identification -- that was recognized as persons own free will to be associated with any particular group. And no pressure should be put on anybody exercising self-identification. There was a clear picture of participation in public and political life of the Muslim minority. But there was the problem of selecting candidates.
Mr. Rechetov said there were provisions allowing students to study Greek as their second language. That was a very liberal law.
Mr. Rechetov said there were safety regulations that had to be met to open up a place of worship. It seemed that local authorities could use that rule to turn down an application for a place of worship.
There were still problems with the treatment of the Roma people, which the report had referred to, Mr. Rechetov said. Greek society continued to have a negative attitude toward Gypsies. While that was not particular to Greece, the Greek Government had tried to establish programmes to combat racist actions against them. The report had also said the situation of the Albanians in Greece could be improved.
Other Committee members asked questions, among other things, about why only one minority group was mentioned; the eligibility of Africans and Asians for work permits; labour discrimination against migrants; legal protections for foreign workers; the frequency charges were brought against police officers who abused their authority; education of ethnic minorities; efforts to eradicate discrimination against the Roma; knowledge of the Convention by border authorities; training educators to teach the Convention; the generalization of Islam as a race; ethnic questions on a national census; cultural diversity of Greek society; a code of ethics in the media; the Slavic dialect used by the Pomaks; the number of Roma in Greece; mandating education for nine years; forced removals from homes; positions that NGOs held in Greece; statistics on different languages spoken in Greece; Roma who wanted to integrate themselves into the Greek community; treatment of Turkish minorities; and the labelling of terrorists.
* *** *
HR/CERD/01/19
16 March 2001
COMMITTEE ON THE ELIMINATION OF RACIAL DISCRIMINATION
BEGINS CONSIDERATION OF REPORTS OF GREECE
The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination this afternoon began its review of the twelfth, thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth periodic reports of Greece on how that country is implementing the rights enshrined in the International Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination.
Maria Telalian, Legal Adviser of the Special Legal Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and head of the Greek delegation, told the Committee Experts that Greece traditionally used to be a country of emigration. However, during the last decade, it had experienced a massive influx of immigrants, in particular from neighbouring countries as a result of the collapse of the former communist regimes and the ethnic conflicts that followed.
Mrs. Telalian said most of these immigrants came from Albania illegally, trying to find better living conditions. After the popular uprising in that country in 1997, and the Security Council authorised intervention in order to prevent internal armed conflict, many criminal bands that looted weapons from the Albanian army had contributed to the rise of criminality in Greece and in other European countries, especially through gun trafficking and organized crime. Certain Greek border areas were particularly touched by these events which had triggered a sense of insecurity among the local people and a negative stereotype of Albanians. As a result, some isolated xenophobic incidents had taken place against some of these foreigners.
However, she said, these reactions did not amount to racism, as there were definitely no signs of race hatred or race prejudice or acts of racist aggression against foreigners.
Joining Mrs. Telalian on the delegation were Elias Kastanas, Rapporteur of the Special Legal Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Vicky Ghiavi, Head of the Citizenship Department of the Ministry of Interior, Public Administration and Decentralization; Panaghiotis Halkiotis, Adviser to the Minister of Foreign Affairs; Sotiris Papaspyropoulos, Adviser to the Minister of Interior, Public Administration and Decentralization; and Ioanna Babassika, Legal Counsellor of the Medical Rehabilitation Center for Torture Victims.
The Greek delegation will answer questions raised by Committee members on Monday morning.
Committee Experts asking questions were Yuri A. Rechetov, the Rapporteur on the report, Gay McDougall, Luis Valencia Rodriguez, Patrick Thornberry, Ion Diaconu, Raghavan Vasudevan Pillai, Tang Chengyuan, Mario Jorge Yutzis, and Agha Shahi.
The Committee will resume its meeting at 10 a.m. on Monday, 19 March to conclude its public consideration of the reports of Greece.
Reports of Greece
The twelfth, thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth periodic reports of Greece, contained in one document (CERD/C/363/Add.4), detail on an article-by-article basis how the country adheres to the tenets and mandates contained in the International Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination. The report describes the general legal framework in Greece which ensures the respect of human rights. It enumerates Greece’s ratification or signature of international human rights instruments and recent developments within that field, as well as illustrating the enforcement of the human rights instruments by domestic courts. Further, a section speaks about the national machinery with responsibility for overseeing the implementation of human rights.
The document refers to the Muslim minority in Thrace, and provides statistical data on it. A 1991 census revealed that there were approximately 98,000 members of the Muslim minority in Thrace, an area with 338,000 people. They totalled 0.92 per cent of the entire Greek population of 10.62 million. This minority consists of three ethnic groups whose members are of Turkish origin (50 per cent), Pomaks (an indigenous population that speaks a Slavic dialect and espoused Islam during Ottoman rule, totalling 35 per cent) and Roma (15 per cent). Each of these groups has its own distinct spoken language and cultural tradition. They share, however, a common religion, Islam, which is the basic reason for the denomination of the minority in its entirety as "Muslim" in the Lausanne Treaty of 1923, which constitutes the legal basis for the protection of this minority. The reports describe the participation of this minority in political life, and the educational rights of its members.
The reports also describe the situation of migrant workers, refugees and asylum seekers. During the 1990s, Greece experienced a wave of legal and illegal immigration. A country of emigration since the end of World War II, Greece has become a country of immigration. Greek authorities stepped up their efforts in order to ensure the integration of immigrants into the Greek society. The procedures for the legalization of migrant workers is underway. The deadline for registration and submission of the application for the granting of a "green card" has expired. Many aliens are already holders of a green card or of the certificate for its granting. As of June 1999, 373,196 aliens were registered; 52,936 obtained a "white card", which enabled them to reside and work legally in Greece on a temporary basis. Further, a Presidential Decree on asylum procedures was put into effect in June 1999. The Decree provides for close cooperation between Greek authorities and representatives of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and lays down rules and conditions for the exercise of the right of refugees to family reunion.
Presentation of Reports of Greece
MARIA TELALIAN, Legal Adviser of the Special Legal Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Greece and head of the delegation, said national institutions, as had been stated by the Committee's previous recommendations, played an effective role in the implementation of the Convention. A National Radio and Television Council had been established, which oversaw the implementation of legislative and other provisions against racism, xenophobia and incitement of hatred in the field of the electronic media. The Authority on the Protection of Personal Data was entrusted with the mandate to regulate the collection and processing of sensitive personal data, such as those concerning race, ethnic origin, political opinions, and religious beliefs, which could lead to a violation of the principle of non-discrimination. The institution of the Ombudsman began its work in September 1998, and during the first two years of its existence, it had received 20,000 complaints, a great number of which concerned vulnerable groups. The National Commission on Human Rights was composed of representatives of non-governmental organizations, political parties, Bar Associations, independent state agencies, trade unions, university professors, government officials, and Supreme Court judges. The Commission made proposals on legislative and other reforms relating to matters such as religious freedom and aliens' rights.
Mrs. Telalian said Greece traditionally used to be a country of emigration. However, during the last decade, it had experienced a massive influx of immigrants, in particular from neighbouring countries as a result of the collapse of the former communist regimes and the ethnic conflicts that had followed. This had destabilised the Southeastern European States. The total number of immigrants was estimated to amount to 7 per cent of the population.
Most of these immigrants came from Albania illegally, trying to find better living conditions, Mrs. Telalian said. After the popular uprising in that country in 1997, and the Security Council authorised intervention in order to prevent internal armed conflict, many criminal bands that looted weapons from the Albanian army had contributed to the rise of criminality in Greece, and in other European countries as well, especially through gun trafficking and organized crime. Certain border areas of Greece were particularly touched by these events, which triggered a sense of insecurity among the local people and a negative stereotype of Albanians. As a result, some isolated xenophobic incidents had taken place against some of these foreigners.
However, she said, these reactions did not amount to racism, as there were definitely no signs of race hatred or race prejudice or acts of racist aggression against foreigners. It was noted that no political party in Greece had ever adopted any racist orientation or right-wing extremist slogans against foreigners. This was mainly due to the fact that such an ideology could not find any appeal within the Greek public. Indeed, it was stressed two days ago in Greek Parliament, during the enactment of the new immigration bill, that Greek people were extremely sensitive to the issue of racism since they had been immigrants themselves in European or other countries.
Mrs. Telalian said the increase of migrant populations in Greece was not confronted with adequate and timely measures. The absence of a long-term immigration policy that would establish the rules for legal entry and stay and be socially integrated was striking. It became clear that the rise of immigrant criminality was also the result of their irregular stay in the country, as well as a lack of social policy in this area, since many clandestine foreigners were obliged to engage in illegal activities in order to make their living. This was confirmed recently after a regularisation process that was applied by the Government in 1998 had resulted in the number of crimes committed by foreigners diminishing.
Mrs. Telalian reiterated Greece's commitment to respect for human rights and freedoms and democratic principles, which were of great importance to the fight against race hatred and discrimination. Greece rejected all forms of racist violence and racial discrimination and the incitement of it. The Government would do its utmost to eradicate all causes that lay behind racism and xenophobia. Improvement of the economic situation of certain targeted groups and awareness-raising among the public concerning racism and intolerance were the best means to tacking these problems. Cultural diversity should be seen as a richness, and not as a threat to
society. Respect for the different should be a priority. In these efforts, the Government felt that both the general and country-specific recommendations of the Committee were going to serve as useful and effective tools that would guide Greek legislation and policy in the future.
Discussion
Committee Expert Yuri Rechetov, the Rapporteur on the report, said Greece recognized the role of this Committee in preventing racial discrimination. Greece was a party to all basic legal instruments to prevent racial discrimination. This was very important. Greece had also said that in the near future it would make a declaration under article 14.
According to the report, the Muslim minority consisted of three basic groups, Mr. Rechetov said. That led to a number of questions and problems that were highlighted by NGOs. There was the question of self-identification -- that was recognized as persons own free will to be associated with any particular group. And no pressure should be put on anybody exercising self-identification. There was a clear picture of participation in public and political life of the Muslim minority. But there was the problem of selecting candidates.
Mr. Rechetov said there were provisions allowing students to study Greek as their second language. That was a very liberal law.
Mr. Rechetov said there were safety regulations that had to be met to open up a place of worship. It seemed that local authorities could use that rule to turn down an application for a place of worship.
There were still problems with the treatment of the Roma people, which the report had referred to, Mr. Rechetov said. Greek society continued to have a negative attitude toward Gypsies. While that was not particular to Greece, the Greek Government had tried to establish programmes to combat racist actions against them. The report had also said the situation of the Albanians in Greece could be improved.
Other Committee members asked questions, among other things, about why only one minority group was mentioned; the eligibility of Africans and Asians for work permits; labour discrimination against migrants; legal protections for foreign workers; the frequency charges were brought against police officers who abused their authority; education of ethnic minorities; efforts to eradicate discrimination against the Roma; knowledge of the Convention by border authorities; training educators to teach the Convention; the generalization of Islam as a race; ethnic questions on a national census; cultural diversity of Greek society; a code of ethics in the media; the Slavic dialect used by the Pomaks; the number of Roma in Greece; mandating education for nine years; forced removals from homes; positions that NGOs held in Greece; statistics on different languages spoken in Greece; Roma who wanted to integrate themselves into the Greek community; treatment of Turkish minorities; and the labelling of terrorists.
* *** *