RLS joins 19 other organisations in Greece, issuing a joint statement calling for the immediate resumption of cash assistance payments for asylum seekers.
Asylum seekers in Greece have once again been denied their legal right to dignified living conditions and months of delays in cash assistance payments, leaving people without an income and unable to meet their basic needs.
Cash assistance hasn’t been paid out to asylum seekers since April. This has impacted thousands of people, including families and vulnerable individuals, who are reliant on state-provided support while they live in remotely located camps.
The cash assistance programme is financed under the EU Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF). It’s intended to allow Greece to meet its legal obligations to provide material reception conditions to asylum seekers which enable people to have a dignified standard of living.
Demands to the Greek State:
- Immediately resume payments of cash assistance to asylum seekers
- Ensure that applicants receive backdated payments for the months of May-August 2024
- Ensure that cash assistance payments are made immediately following registration of an asylum claim
- In cases where cash payments are delayed and the individual has been granted international protection, ensure that retroactive payments are made
Demands to the European Commission:
- Take action to ensure that EU funds disbursed for the purpose of cash assistance are properly managed by Greece so that it meets legal obligations
You can read the full statement below.
