{"id":11920,"date":"2021-07-28T18:29:00","date_gmt":"2021-07-28T17:29:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cassandravoices.com\/?p=11920"},"modified":"2021-07-28T18:29:00","modified_gmt":"2021-07-28T17:29:00","slug":"greece-refugee-pushback-award-withdrawn","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/casswp.eutonom.eu\/index.php\/2021\/07\/28\/greece-refugee-pushback-award-withdrawn\/","title":{"rendered":"Greece: Refugee Pushback Award Withdrawn"},"content":{"rendered":"

Continuing tensions in Greece over that State\u2019s handling of the refugee crisis<\/a><\/span> contradicts a carefully constructed public image the ruling right wing Nea Demokrita<\/em> (New Democracy) wishes to project to a domestic and international audience. The issue of illegal \u2018push-backs\u2019 of migrants has continued to generate outrage, controversy, and outright denial in European media. This contradictory policy is reflected in events over this past week, as an attempt by the Greek President to honour a noted refugee-rescuer resulted in swift push-back by members of the ruling party keen to downplay such defiant gestures.<\/span><\/p>\n

Technically head of state \u2013 although her role is primarily ceremonial \u2013 Greece\u2019s first female President Katerina Sakellaropoulou had issued a list of Greek citizens who were to be honoured for their contribution to society in various fields. The conferral ceremony was part of a wider series of events held last weekend commemorating the forty-seventh anniversary of the restoration of Greek Democracy<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n

Those chosen to be honoured were drawn from various fields, including academia, medicine, and the arts. \u00a0Amongst them was activist Iasonas Apostolopoulos, who over several years has been working as a sea rescuer of refugees around the Mediterranean Sea. Currently working with M\u00e9decins Sans Fronti\u00e8res (Doctors without Borders) on such missions, Apostolopoulos has previously received honors for his humanitarian actions from the Mayor of Palermo, and the Danish Navy.<\/p>\n

He was invited to attend the ceremony on Saturday 24th<\/sup> of July at the Presidential Hall. According to his testimony, however, he received a phone call from the Ministry of the Exterior on Friday 23rd<\/sup> July – \u00a0after midnight \u2013 informing him he would not be decorated after all. Not only was this a highly unusual turn of events, but Apostolopolous had already been publically named as a recipient of this public honour. The cancellation was bound to stir controversy.<\/p>\n

Worryingly, hours before Apostolopoulos had been informed by phone news of the cancellation was leaked on Twitter and Facebook by Konstantinos Bogdanos, a member of parliament from the ruling party of Nea Dimokratia (New Democracy). In his post, Bogdanos described the refugee rescuer as an \u2018aggressive critic of the border policy and our security corps,\u2019 and attached social media posts of Apostolopoulos critical of the well-documented illegal push backs<\/a><\/span> by the Greek authorities, which have been linked to refugees drowning at sea.<\/p>\n

The process of \u201cpushing back\u201d is designed to prevent migrants from arriving in a jurisdiction, or immediately returning them once they have arrived there. It prevents asylum seekers from declaring themselves as such, from presenting papers or other documents to the authorities, or even from receiving basic first aid or other essentials such as food, medicine and drinking water.<\/p>\n

The practice has become all too commonplace as \u2018Fortress Europe\u2019 attempts to prevent and discourage the movement of victims of war and its economic consequences, and, increasingly, climate change.<\/p>\n

\n

"At one point a guy passed five metres away from me with a machete, a massive knife, and I heard the noise of stabbing."
Report from @fellipelopes7<\/a> inside Camp #moria<\/a>, Lesboshttps:\/\/t.co\/SG7JB7k4Gq<\/a>@CaoimheButterly<\/a> @IrishRefugeeCo<\/a> @openarms_found<\/a> @RefugeeRescueUK @seawatch_intl<\/a><\/p>\n

— CassandraVoices (@VoicesCassandra) January 26, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n