According to
an opinion published on 20 March by the Greek State Legal Council, the legal
service of the Greek administration, migrants in Greece who refuse to cooperate
regarding their deportation can be lawfully detained pending their removal for
longer than the maximum of 18 months permitted by the EU Returns Directive.
According to
an unofficial translation of the Opinion in the Greek State Legal Council’s
view, detention beyond 18 months is justified on grounds of public order and
safety.
“This is a
clear violation of Greece’s obligations under the Return Directive. Extreme
measures such as this one go beyond the rule of law and present alarming
similarities to the unlawful deprivation of liberty as described in art. 325 of
the Greek Criminal Code”, Vasilis Kerasiotis from the Greek Council for
Refugees told the ECRE Weekly Bulletin.
