Topic: Rights of Stateless Persons
Country: Greece
Delegate Name: Anika Gupta
School: Grand Blanc High School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All Greece position papers GLIMUN 2016 committees
Greece, in recent years, has accepted a multitude of refugees into the heart of our country. The evacuees migrate from surrounding countries (frequently arriving by sea travel) but are met with no access to education, most health benefits, proper sanitation, or appropriate housing forcing them to endure extreme situations while facing discrimination from the native people of their host countries. This has raised many questions pertaining to the rights, benefits, and responsibilities regarding these asylum seekers. Acknowledging the problem, Greece is concerned about the diminishing funding and the resources available. Trying to secure themselves in another country, thus assuming the title of alien, most migrants do not have the proper legal papers to become citizens or acquire fundamental protection. Being in the status of statelessness is no easy situation, and has unfortunately been a never-ending cycle continuing throughout history where many individuals suffer violations to their basic human rights.
To sort out this constant flow of incoming refugees, totaling to be around 60,000 displaced persons, Greece parties to both the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol. These acts help clarify the freedoms of refugees and the obligations of their host countries, outlining the rules they must adhere to. Greece has also signed in agreement with the treaty of 1954 in the Convention Relating to the Status of Stateless Persons but has not taken any significant steps to ratify the clauses yet. In addition, Greece is a signatory to the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities. Being a signatory, Greece aims to further elucidate the rights of the displaced people in our country for a better and higher functioning system with the hope of eliminating xenophobia.
One major step that Greece has taken is offering medical care and treatment in public hospitals for all refugees (who currently hold a white card). Greece understands the urgency of this current deadlock and has already been taking the initiative to work with certain disaster relief organizations including, but not limited to, the International Rescue Committee (IRC), the European Emergency Response Capacity (EERC), the Common Emergency Communications and Information System (CECIS), the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, and the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) as there were almost “856,723 arrivals by sea in 2015” (UNHCR) to Greece in order to disperse into the more affluent areas of Europe. In Greece, there currently is an economic crisis that is being handled, but it still has a direct effect on the amount and welfare of our refugees, sadly contributing to the 65.3 million refugees around the world.
Greece remains dedicated to providing a more apt and safe environment for the displaced persons taking refuge in our country. Greece encourages all countries to work in unison, as one entity, like the EU-Turkey deal, to solve this growing issue that all countries feel the repercussions of. Together, we need to give our time and support to these refugees as this is not just their problem. Greece provides care through the fabrication and existing accords and treaties, making Greece prepared for every contingency.
