Dear Minister,

Im writing to you as a concerned law student and human rights activist in relation to the planned closure of the PIKPA refugee shelter on the 15th of october, i write this letter with a well formed belief that you and your fellow ministers should not be acting against the content of the Universal declaration of  human rights or against greek law itself. 

It is my strong belief that the actions you are planning on taking will directly contradict several articles of the universal declaration of human rights (UDHR), along with destruct one of the best opportunities these asylum seekers have to rebuild their lives. For a start, Article 14 of the UDHR states that ‘Everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution’, by closing down the shelters provided by NGOs to these refugees you are directly prohibiting their right to enjoy a life free from persecution in line with article 14, these shelters such as PIKPA are community run by volunteers at no cost to the government or tax payer and therefore there is no excuse to actively prevent the running of them. To add further to the list of egregious human rights abuses you are potentially responsible for is Article 3 of the UDHR, Art.3 states that ‘everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person’. I think many could (quite rightly) argue that community led shelters with humane and good living conditions are covered by this and conversely many of the other larger refugee camps you presided over did not, so what is the alternative to PIKPA? The alternatives you will give these refugees (or force upon them) will no doubt again contradict these basic human rights that your nation signed up to and you would certainly face international action if you ignore these declarations. 

The most relevant articles of the UDHR to quote to you in reference to your activities are Articles 25 and 12 which surmise that everyone has the right to healthcare and living conditions that are adequate for the health and well-being of themselves and their family, article 12 additionally provides that everyone should be free from arbitrary interference into their privacy or home. By forcibly going into the homes of these vulnerable refugees you are in violation of article 12 as you have no good reason at all for your doing so, it is also evident that many of the other refugee camps that you have kept these people in have been far from adequate to protect their health and wellbeing especially considering the ongoing pandemic of COVID-19 which has ripped through many of the less maintained camps. 

On the basis of the overwhelming legal evidence of the violations you are making towards the Universal Declaration Of Human Rights not just in closing down PIKPA but also in the other options you force these refugees into, i ask you to immediately halt the closure of PIKPA and any other well-run sanitary refugee shelter to and to also improve the conditions of the thousands of refugees you have kept in degrading, inhuman and dangerous camps.

Sincerely,
George 
Law student and Human rights advocate